UMUAHIA – The European Union (EU) is to intervene in Nigeria’s power sector problems.
Towards this end, the union is to sign a six-year Memorandum of Understanding with the National Planning Commission.
Mr Mishel Arrion, EU’s Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, announced this on Wednesday in Umuahia when he paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Theodore Orji.
He said the intervention had become necessary due to the unstable power situation in the country which had stalled the nation’s socio-economic development.
He said Nigerians were deeply worried by the perennial electricity problem and expressed hope that the people would appreciate EU’s intervention in the sector.
Arrion also said EU would collaborate with the Independent National Electoral Commission to improve the nation’s electoral process.
He said the union would participate in monitoring the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti.
He expressed hope that Nigeria would use the 2015 general elections to deepen democratic values.
Arrion said the EU was executing water and other micro-projects in three local government areas of Abia.
He explained that he was in Abia as part of working visits to states to interact with the people and find out challenges facing the states.
Gov. Orji thanked the ambassador for his visit, saying Nigeria had benefited from its long standing relationship with the EU.
Orji said the intervention of the EU through infrastructure development and poverty reduction projects had helped to reduce unemployment and poverty in rural and semi-urban areas of the state.
He expressed hope that the completion of the ongoing EU micro projects in the state would help to boost the economy of the rural and semi-urban areas and provide a new lease of life to the people.
He appealed to the union to extend the number of the local government areas for its pilot projects in the state from three to six.
The governor also urged the ambassador to put the necessary machinery in place to ensure the successful completion and sustainability of the projects. (NAN)
