The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has made a passionate appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Energy Commission of Nigeria Amendment Bill before transferring power to the incoming administration.
In a joint statement signed by PENGASSAN’s President, Festus Osifo, and the General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the association emphasized the need for the president to assent to the bill on or before May 29, 2022, which is the handover date for the incoming administration.
PENGASSAN decried the “negligence” of the bill since it was transmitted to the Office of the President on November 28, 2021. The association reminded the president of the critical role of the Energy Commission of Nigeria in nation-building.
According to PENGASSAN, the commission has a primary responsibility of meeting the energy demands of the country in critical areas and sustaining energy development in Nigeria. However, due to bureaucratic breakdowns with various stakeholders and internal shortcomings, the energy commission has not performed its mandated duties, which has been costly to Nigeria’s energy sector.
The association observed that the provisions of the current energy commission act are no longer in tandem with present realities in the energy sector. Hence, they requested for its amendment.
PENGASSAN appealed to the president to consider assenting to the energy bill in addition to the recently passed Petroleum Industry Act, stating that it will help in repositioning the entire energy sector, as well as the nation’s economy.
It is hoped that the president will act on this appeal to ensure the growth and development of Nigeria’s energy sector.
NAN
