Eno Advises FG to Seek Partnership with States for Improved Power Supply

•Approves update of state’s social register

Okon Bassey in Uyo

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Umo Eno, has urged the federal government to seek partnership with the states if it aims to achieve improved electricity supply in the country.

Eno spoke during an interaction with a delegation of the Senate Committee on Power and members of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) who paid him a visit at the Government House, Uyo.

While expressing the readiness of his administration to partner with the federal government, the governor stressed that the state government was willing to ensure the offtake of power generated from the Ibom Power Plant to the benefit of the people.

Power, he said, is critical to the socio-economic development of the nation and advocated urgent measures to improve its supply in the country.

“I believe we can do better with our power system, but a lot has to do with the federal government. If the federal government gives us the  leeway to do it and with a promise to refund, then we can begin to think of it.

“But we’ll like to work together because we need to get the permission to be able to link these things up, so that we won’t need to get into too much talk after the process. At the end of the day, it will be to the benefit of our people and then to Nigeria.

“Power is something that is dear to our heart, so the work that you are doing needs to be encouraged because without power, we cannot really do anything and the economy cannot move forward,” he stressed.

He expressed gratitude over the return of the Senators to the state, weeks after the just-concluded Senate retreat in the Uyo, adding that the preference of Akwa Ibom for conferences and retreats has put the state on its toes to improve  facilities to retain the confidence of such high profile visitors.

He said: “We are delighted at the increasing interest in our state for conferences, retreats and others. It behoves on us to ensure that our facilities continue to be top-notch.”

Eno described the synergy between the Senate Committee on Power and NERC as healthy for the power sector, indicating that  both arms will be on the same page for enactments and regulatory policies.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, the Chairman Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the team was in the state for a three-day retreat and expressed satisfaction with the choice of Uyo for the retreat.

He noted that previous retreats of the body were held in Ghana, Morocco and other locations outside the country, noting that after the last Senate retreat in Akwa Ibom, they realised that Akwa Ibom has quality facilities sufficient for their engagement.

 Abaribe therefore commended the governor for his “purposeful leadership” and attributed the pace of development in the state to what he described as ‘’continuum” in leadership.

He assured of the National Assembly’s disposition to  make enactments that will favour a robust partnership between the state and federal government for an efficient  power sector.

Meanwhile, the governor has approved an update of the state’s social register, urging stakeholders to avoid planting ghost names and discrimination.

Speaking at the Government House’ monthly prayer service, held at the Latter House Chapel, Government House, Uyo, the governor said the register was only for the vulnerable indigenes of the state and to enable government reach out to them whenever the need arises.

“For the records, the National Social Register (NSR), is an information system that supports the outreach, intake, registration and determination of potentially eligible persons  to benefit from social programmes,” he said.

He observed that a lot of people in the state were yet to know that such a register exists, and stressed the need for adequate sensitisation of citizens on the imperatives of the register.

Eno tasked government functionaries, community and religious leaders to be up about it and revealed the state government’s intention to adopt the register for its intervention programmes.

“There is a social register. It is active and it’s recognised by the World Bank. We have over a million people from every local government area, wards and units. It’s done on household basis and it’s for the poorest of the poor.

“This week we will be updating that register. All our people  in the wards will be helping us. We all have work to do, so I ask that we please show some interest,” Eno said.

He appealed to all stakeholders to ensure that the registration is done, devoid of political colouration.

“I like to emphasise that this is not another political jamboree. Let’s make sure that it’s for everyone who belongs to that category, whether they voted for us or not. If we bring those divisions now it won’t help us.

“So the stakeholders, please just check to make sure they don’t put the names and bank accounts of people that are not from your village,” he said.

On the “One Project Per Local Government Area’’ initiative, the governor stressed that local councils that agreed on primary healthcare as their choice project should not alter the existing template by offering an entirely new site for the state government to construct a healthcare facility when there is an existing one in the community.

He appealed to the people of the state to protect public facilities in their domain, stressing that it was appalling to have public facilities vandalised.