'Blame FG  For Power Failure'

•Bolaji Yusuf Ayinla

Eromosele Ebhomele

The Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts (State), Bolaji Yusuf Ayinla, has asked Nigerians to blame the poor power supply currently witnessed in the country on the Federal Government.

Ayinla, who spoke with journalists concerning the state of the nation recently, said the increasing rate of importation of generating sets into the country could be blamed on government’s ineptitude.

•Bolaji Yusuf Ayinla

Ayinla noted that the dealers in generator sets had capitalised on the lapses of the Federal Government to import generators also with government’s collusion.

“The Federal Government should be blamed because it fails to provide electricity; the generator dealers only have 10 per cent of the blame.

“If the Federal Government had done the right thing, the dealers would have no other choice than to stop the importation.”

The lawmaker, who is also a businessman, disclosed that the Lagos State Government under former Governor Bola Tinubu had planned some programmes that would ensure sufficient power for the state, but that this was scuttled by former President Olusegun Obasanjo due to the political battle he had with the former governor.

He advised that for the country to develop, leaders must eschew political manipulation and the love for self.

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A representative of Mushin Constituency at the House, Ayinla lamented the poverty level in the country saying that it is shameful that in a country blessed by God, many of its citizens were still living below $1 dollar per day.

He said the power problem in the country was part of the reasons for the extreme poverty ravaging the country because with electricity, people would find various endeavours to engage themselves in order to earn a living.

“Even if you want to go into the manufacturing sector, you must be very careful because diesel will run you out of business,” he said.

The lawmaker also argued against the call for part-time legislature in the country by some citizens and delegates at the ongoing National Conference saying even though their arguments and propositions sound good, it would not make a good practice in Nigeria.

According to him, most of the jobs done by the legislators take place during oversight and at committee level apart from the normal plenary.

He said operating on part-time basis would make the legislature suffer among the three arms of government.

“If you make our legislature to be on part-time basis, then nothing much would be achieved, because the lawmakers won’t have the time to do much in terms of oversight functions.

“You have to consider committee work, if you say we should work part-time, how do we work effectively? So part time legislature won’t make us achieve much,” Ayinla added.

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