By Yemi Adeleye
Labor – Mr Oladele Adekanye, Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Commerce and Industry, has appealed to the Federal Government to redouble efforts at fixing the challenge of electricity supply.
Adekanye, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos, said several socio-economic challenges in the country would be resolved with adequate electricity supply.
According to him, apart from impacts of electricity on the economy through enhancement of trade, commerce and industry, availability of power will address unemployment and security challenges.
“It is unfortunate where we have found ourselves as a country, even at this material point in time, with regards to ensuring we have a regular supply of electricity.
“It is like the problem has remained intractable, and I would think, for rather too long a time.
“It is unfortunate we found ourselves in this situation; government should stop at nothing to ensure regular supply of power.
“No efforts should be spared in this regards in our collective interest as a nation at moving forward economically.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that power supply is basic to any country that wants to develop,’’Adekanye, representing Lagos Mainland Constituency I at the Assembly said.
He expressed disappointment that in spite of many eminent personalities like late Chief Bola Ige overseeing the ministry, electricity supply remained erratic.
“Without meaning to play down the importance of anybody, I will say that our expectations have consistently gone down the drain as per regular supply of power,” the lawmaker said.
According to Adekanye, success in the power sector will turn around the socio-economic activities of the nation and reduce graduates’ unemployment, as well as unending search for white collar jobs.
He said that the country needs regular power supply, even if it is for 18 hours a day.
On the Federal Government’s efforts to encourage growth and development of local industries, Adekanye said the country’s leaders must take the lead by patronising locally produced goods and services.
“The Nigerian people would have been more willing to cooperate in this regard (patronising locally produced goods) if only they see their leaders taking the lead.
“People are calling on leaders to start. Political leaders should also be ready to make some sacrifices in dropping their taste for foreign products.
“Those of us that are calling ourselves leaders; are we wearing clothes, for example, that are not locally produced?
“Most us we wear lace materials that are brought from abroad and then we want people to comply; absolutely, they will not find it attractive. Nigerian leaders should take a cue from Ghana.
“I don’t think Nigerians are that difficult to govern but they want to see in leaders what they (leaders) are trying to preach to them,’’ Adekanye said.
He urged Nigerians and the leaders to make sacrifice by patronising made in Nigeria goods and services in the interest of the nation.
