The House of Representatives on Tuesday said that it would develop an all -inclusive policy document to enhance safe secured and quality electricity delivery in the country.Rep. Sulaiman Gumi, the Chairman House of Representative Committee on Safety Standard and Regulations, said this in Abuja while briefing newsmen.
Gumi said that the document would strengthen the oversight and investigative responsibility of the committee.
He said that the power sector was an important one which safety standards and regulatory policies should be observed for effective legislative actions.
According to him, the Federal Government has made commitments toward enhancing safety standards in the electricity sector by ascertaining laws, regulations and establishing institutions to coordinate, implement and enforce the laws.
”This is with the aim of ensuring that electricity service delivery in the country is carried out in a safe, secured and qualitative manner, devoid of loss of lives and properties.
”In spite of the efforts of government in creating laws, setting up regulatory policies, establishing institutions of State and providing guidelines, codes and rules which operators in the sector should abide by, problems still exist, ”he said.
Gumi said that it was these concerns that justified the House Committee on Safety, Standard and Regulations to collaborate with the Association for Public Policy Analysis and other stakeholders working together to plan a conference.
He said that the conference would no doubt lay a foundation that would enable the committee carry out her constitution functions of oversight and investigation enshrined in Section 88 of the 1999 Construction of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Gumi said that the main objective of the conference was to bring stakeholders concerned with design, implementation and enforcement of safety standards and regulatory policies of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) together.
He said that the conference would also bring private sector operators, consumers and international development partners together to appraise opportunities and challenges existing in the safety, standards and regulations segment of the NESI.
”This is to enable them come up with a legislative, investigative and oversight compliance as well as enforcement of electricity standards and regulation policy document.
