Jonathan c‎ommitted errors in privatisation of power sector – Saraki

The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday disclosed that the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan committed errors in the privatisation process and the model by which the power sector is being operated in Nigeria.
Saraki made this disclosure in his address while welcoming senators back from their new year break.
He lamented that the power sector‎ has failed and nobody appears willing to tackle the issue head-on towards a permanent resolution.
He said: “Distinguished Colleagues, before we left for the break, myself, a select few of us and stakeholders in the power sector met to get an understanding of why no progress has been made thus far despite the best intention; and the revelations were mind-boggling.
“There had been errors in the privatisation process and the model by which the power sector is being operated—whether at generation or distribution—will never take us where we need to be. It has failed and nobody appears willing to tackle the issue head-on towards a permanent resolution.
“I have mandated the Senate Committee on Power to continue the consultation with the relevant parties to forge a path to solving our crippling power deficit. After all, if we are going to drive Nigerian industry, we need to resolve this and fast.”
Saraki also expressed dissatisfaction with‎ continuous hardship in the country as a result of economic recession in the country.
The Senate President said: “As long as our economy is still in recession, our work is not done. Because our people are still being laid off; so long as factories are closing shop, for as the hardship in the land continues to bite harder, investment continues to dwindle and the foreign exchange market remains fragmented, I will be demanding even much more from us to get all our economic reform bills passed.
“Ideally we would like to see them pass together with the 2017 budget. Let me therefore urge all our committees involved with our priority bills to double efforts to ensure that by the end of the first quarter of this year we will have these bills ready.”