The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Energy Commission of Nigeria Amendment Bill before handing it over to the incoming administration.
PENGASSAN made the appeal in a statement jointly signed by its president, Mr. Festus Osifo, and the General Secretary, Mr. Lumumba Okugbawa on Friday in Abuja.
The association said that it was a matter of urgency that the president assented to the bill before handing it over to the new administration on May 29.
It said the appeal was a sequel to the “negligence” of the bill which was transmitted to the Office of the President on November 28, 2022.
The association reminded the president of the critical role of the Energy Commission of Nigeria in nation-building.
“The commission is expected to meet up with the energy demands of the country in critical areas, especially by sustaining energy development in the country,” it said.
It blamed the inability of the energy commission to perform its mandated duties on bureaucratic breakdowns among the various stakeholders and internal shortcomings.
According to the association, the situation has been costly for Nigeria’s energy sector.
It said the provisions of the current energy commission act were no longer in tandem with the present realities in the energy sector, hence the request for its amendment.
“Assenting to the energy bill in addition to the Petroleum Industry Act will go a long way in repositioning the entire energy sector as well as the nation’s economy,” it added.
