Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has pledged to work with the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) to tackle insecurity in the state by ensuring that every nook and crannies of the state is properly lit up and to support his government provide adequate energy resources to the people.
The governor gave the assurance recently during a visit to the management of ECN. A release from the ECN Media and Public Affairs Office, said the governor’s visit was to establish technical cooperation with the Commission with a view to facilitating the development of energy resource to lighten up Imo State.
The statement further said that the Director General of the Commission, Prof. Eli Jidere Bala, who received the governor in his office, made a presentation on ECN’s mandates and activities from inception to date in his welcome remarks. He listed two key mandates of the Commission as they relate to state governments to include “advising the Government of the Federation or a State on issues relating to such aspects of energy, as the government of the Federation or a State and may from time to time refer to it; inquire into and advise the Government of the Federation or of the State on adequate funding of the energy sector, including research and development, production and distribution, as well as to liaise with all international organisations on energy matters such as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Energy Council (WEC), IRENA, AFREC, UNDP, UNIDO, UK-DECC, IEC, AREI and similar organisations.”
It further stated that “After the presentation which also reechoed the establishment of the Commission in 1989 at a meeting of the heads of ECOWAS in 1982 at Cotonou, where a resolution was made that each member state should establish an agency to be called Energy Commission charged with the responsibilities of coordinating and supervising all energy functions and activities of each member state.
Governor Uzodinma who was pleased with the outcome of his visit to ECN said “The situation in Nigeria today is very pathetic ranging from the global pandemic to insecurity in the North-East, high crime rate in the South-East, South-South and South-West. In other words, national security problem is not a job that should be left for security agencies alone.