Kunle Adelabu
The National Assembly has concurred to the bill to amend the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, which was sponsored by the representative of the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Rep. Babajimi Benson.
The bill, according to report, is to address the concerns of host communities of the Power Generating Companies in Nigeria (GENCOs), in the country.
The private member bill sponsored in 2021, seeks to amend Section 77 of the Principal Act with a view to provide for “Development of host communities and address the adverse effects on the environment, human and aquatic lives on the communities hosting the power generating stations all over the country, particularly thermal pollution from the power generating stations”.
In a statement on Wednesday, by Rep. Benson, the Chairman, House Committee on Defence, he announced that bill has been passed by the National Assembly.
“The Senate of the National Assembly concurred to the bill I sponsored for an act to amend the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, to address the concerns of host communities and for related matters”, he said.
“When assented to by the President, host communities, particularly the communities around the Egbin Thermal Power Station in Ikorodu Federal Constituency, will get 5% of the actual annual operating expenditure for the preceding financial year from the various Power Generating Companies in Nigeria (GENCOs), operating within their communities.
Rep. Benson, whose constituency is hosting the Egbin Thermal Station which is the one of the largest thermal power plants in Sub-Saharan Africa, and contributes over 16 percent of the total electricity generated to the Nigerian National Grid, said that the money would assist the host communities in developing their communities.
“These funds will be channelled to the development of those communities and ameliorate impact of the activities of these GENCOs”, he said.
“This is a milestone for us as the communities will be able to glean the full benefits of hosting the GENCOs. It will also guide GENCOs in providing targeted developmental projects that will impact on the lives of our people, their host communities.
“I thank my fellow legislators in the Senate and House of Representatives for their commitment to the passage of this bill, and urge our listening President to kindly assent to this bill promptly”.
