Lawmaker Tasks Government On Power Supply

A member of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Oboro Preyor, has called on the government at all levels to invest more in the power sector in order to encourage small and medium scale industries.

Preyor, who represents Bomadi constituency, said in an interview with newsmen in Asaba, that if there was adequate power supply in the country, industries would thrive and perform at utmost capacity.

Besides full capacity performance, he said that most small and medium scale industries would expand and sustain their businesses.

Noting that power was a critical infrastructure in any economy, Preyor said that its abundant availability would also encourage self employment and help in reducing poverty in the society.

“When we have good power supply, young people who are looking for white collar jobs will find a way of setting up their own businesses and this will help to check the challenge of unemployment in the country,’’ he said.

Preyor said that more than 80 per cent of small and medium scale industries in the country needed electricity to remain in business and maintained that unavailability of adequate power was aiding unemployment.

He said that poor power supply was a bane of economic development in the country.

“When you have adequate power supply, restaurants, hotels, artisans, including hairdressers and barbers, will grow.

“Apart from fending for themselves, most of them will become employers, no matter the size, and help in taking some of the youths off the streets.’’

Preyor also urged the government to invest in agriculture, saying that the sector had a lot to contribute to the economic growth of the nation.

“Everyone knows the benefits of agriculture to homes and the nation and it is therefore, painful to see the lip-service governments at all levels, pay to the sector in the scheme of things.”

He said that it was due to the long neglect of the agriculture sector that cost of living, especially of food items, had become high in the country.

“Nigerians are paying more for food than they would have been doing if successive governments in the country gave attention to agricultural production.”

Preyor, however, said that it was time government matched words on agriculture with action through adequate investment and supervision of all the processes involved, including agencies and departments.