Port Harcourt (9News Nigeria) – The Rivers State House of Assembly, through its Committee on Power, conducted a public hearing on the Rivers State Electricity Market Bill, 2024 on Wednesday. The bill aims to repeal the Rivers State Electricity and Gas Board Law CAP 50, Laws of Rivers State 1999, and enact the Rivers State Market Law to provide for electricity supply, its power generation, transmission, and distribution within Rivers State, as well as establish the Rivers State Electricity Commission to enforce consumers’ rights and obligations.
Declaring the public hearing open, Honourable Martin Chike Amaewhule, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, stated that the hearing is a vital aspect of lawmaking, as it provides a platform for stakeholders and the public to express their opinions on the bill. He emphasized that the bill seeks to improve power supply in the state, encourage companies and individuals to invest in the power sector, and establish a legal framework to guide the state and its people in investing in the power sector for fruitful yields.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Power, Hon. Frankline Nwabochi, noted that the bill is in line with the new order, as electric power generation, transmission, and distribution were previously the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government, but have now been domiciled in the Concurrent Legislative List.
Commenting on the bill, the Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Allwell Ihunda, described it as a people-oriented bill and expressed ALGON’s willingness to work with the House to ensure that the benefits of the law, once enacted, will trickle down to the grassroots.
As stated by Martin Wachukwu, Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, “the Rivers State Electricity Market Bill, 2024, is a bill for law to repeal the Rivers State Electricity and Gas Board Law CAP 50, Laws of Rivers State 1999, and to enact the Rivers State Market Law to provide for electricity supply, its power generation, transmission and distribution within Rivers State, and to establish the Rivers State Electricity Commission for the enforcement of consumers’ right and obligation and for connected purposes.”
- 9News Nigeria
