Mark Calls For Speedy Transformation Of Power Sector

Senate President David Mark on Wednesday called for urgent transformation of the power sector to enhance the nation’s economic development.

Mark spoke while inaugurating the Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy at one of the Senate committees’ hearing rooms.

He decried the poor level of power supply inspite of the huge funds that had been expended on the sector in recent time.

“There is still no improvement in power supply even though huge funds are continually pumped into the sector.

“The whole plan about developing our economy cannot come to reality without a change in the current power situation.

“The ministry, PHCN and the Senate Committee have to do everything possible for us to generate and transmit enough power to the people, ‘’ Mark said.

Inaugurating the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Sen. Mark urged the Police to intensify its crime prevention mechanism and ensure that where crime was committed, the perpetrators were apprehended immediately.

Mark urged the police authorities to pay attention to the welfare of its officers and men, noting that this would check disenchantment.

“You must look after the welfare of officers and men. When they are due for promotion and it’s not forthcoming, they become a nuisance to the society,” he said.

Inaugurating the Committee on Navy, the Senate President also stressed the need for adequate funding of the Navy to ensure maximum performance.

He said the Navy had several challenges over the years which could not be addressed due to inadequate funds.

Speaking while inaugurating the Senate committee on the Niger Delta, Mark said the recent dissolution of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) revealed that it worked against the interest for which it was established.

“The dissolution of the NDDC Board has put a question mark on the body set up by government to alleviate the lives of the Niger Delta people.

“All the board members should hide their faces in shame. They were given the mandate to manage their resources and develop the area, but they failed their own people,’’ he said.

He urged the committee to strengthen its oversight functions over the NDDC to avoid any further misappropriation of funds allocated for the development of the region.

Inaugurating the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Mark called for adequate funding of the security agencies to enhance their performance.

Mark also urged the security agencies to be proactive to check the high level of insecurity in the country.

“All we need to do is to equip the security agencies so that they can fish out criminals once anything goes wrong.

“ They need to train and retrain to meet with the current security challenges in the country, ‘’ he added.

The Chairman of the Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, Sen. Philip Aduda, observed that its assignment called for tremendous effort to harness the nation’s power resources for revival of Nigeria’s industrial growth.

Aduda gave an assurance that the committee would address all issues that had been militating against efficient power supply and the development of the steel industry.

“The committee will address issues of power shortage by ensuring that power generation is boosted. Adequate

measures must be put in place to enhance the NIPPs as well as revive our steel plants,’’ he said.

The Chairman of the Committee on Police Affairs, Sen. Paulinus Igwe, said the committee would ensure that the Police were properly equipped to carry out their responsibilities.

He also promised to enhance collaboration between the police and vigilance groups to improve the nation’s security.

“The Committee is poised to encourage the police to explore new vistas in its operations.

“The activities of vigilance groups across the country will also be examined and the possibility of their

collaboration with the police in fighting crime will also be explored,’’ he said.

The Chairman of the Committee on Navy, Sen. Chris Anyanwu, implored the Navy to go beyond just defending the nation against external aggression.

She urged the Navy to look into issues of terrorism, piracy and illegal oil bunkering.

Meanwhile, the Senate referred a motion on the urgent need to safeguard night movement of commercial buses on Nigeria’s highways to its committees on Police Affairs and Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs.