19th May, 2023
By Joan Nwagwu
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Energy Commission of Nigeria Amendment Bill before handing over the presidency to the next administration.
The call was contained in a statement signed on Friday in Abuja by the President of PENGASSAN, Mr. Festus Osifo, and the General Secretary, Mr. Lumumba Okugbawa.
According to the group, it is critical that the president sign the measure before passing it over to the next administration on May 29.
In the appeal, PENGASSAN noted that the bill’s “negligence” was reported to the President’s Office on November 28, 2022.
The organisation reminded the president of Nigeria’s Energy Commission’s essential role in nation-building.
“The commission is expected to meet up with the energy demands of the country in critical areas especially by sustaining energy development in the country,” it said.
It blamed the Energy Commission’s incapacity to carry out its stated obligations on bureaucratic breakdowns with various stakeholders and internal problems.
The situation has been costly for Nigeria’s energy sector, according to the association.
It stated that the provisions of the current Energy Commission Act were no longer in sync with current energy sector reality, thus the proposal for revision.
“Assenting to the energy bill in addition to the Petroleum Industry Act will go a long way in repositioning the entire energy sector as well as nation’s economy,” it added.
NAN