Shehu Sani Commends President Obama For Electricity for Africa Act
Shehu Sani Commends President Obama For Electricity for Africa Act
By ALEX UANGBAOJE
Chairman Senate committee on foreign and domestic debt as Senator Shehu Sani on has commended President Barack Obama for signing ‘The electricity for Africa act 2015’ into law.
The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone said it is a positive step to light up the continent and accelerate economic activities. He noted that the act will help people in rural and urban Africa to have access to electric power and improve on the quality of life and standard of living.
A press statement personally signed by the Senator, observed that the electricity for Africa act 2015 when faithfully implemented will surely assist African Governments to provide power related social services in cities and remote areas of the continent.
The statement further reads: “Electricity generation and supply has been a big challenge to most African countries for decades.African Governments have been overwhelmed.Outages affects lives and paralyses businesses and perpetuates underdevelopment.
“Africa cannot develop itself nor reach an industrial status as long as it’s power sector remains in its epileptic status.We must move away from been a continent of imported Generators.Its time to leap away from darkness to a brighter future where electricity is accessible and affordable to the masses of our people.
“Nigeria been the most populous African nation,must support and key into this initiative.With our 3000 megawatts of electricity generation and a population of about 175 Million,Obama’s Electricity for Africa act is a welcome development.
“Most of our power infrastructure in Africa are colonial legacies vandalized by weariness of time and institutional neglect.As bitter as it’s also,Nigeria’s power sector is partly grounded by fraud, perpetrated by previous Governments made up of politicians,bureaucrats,local capitalists and western multinationals involved in power sector investment.
“Electricity for Africa act must be mindful of this.Over $20Billion dollars was wasted in our country within a period of 13 years and it only led us into a bottomless ditch of darkness.
“The reported $7Billion commitment by the US government to support the scheme should be faithfully provided to give life and meaning to the act.
“I call on African Governments to act in unison through the African Union and take this opportunity.
“I call on the US Government to ensure a faithful continuity of the program even after the Obama administration.And I wish to advice the US government to shun political considerations or conditionalities in the implementation of the act.
“However,it’s pertinent for Africans to know that despite all foreign economic interventions,our development and future still lies in our hands.African Governments have a constitutional and moral responsibility to provide infrastructure and create an enabling environment for investment and development.”
