The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has stated that the crisis in the power sector has remained due to the lack of patriotism by stakeholders and government officials.

Gbajabiamila stated this in Abuja on Thursday while declaring open an investigative hearing by the ad hoc committee set up by the House to investigate abandoned projects and government expenditures in the power sector from 1999. The Speaker, who was represented by the Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno, observed that despite the huge sums of money appropriated by the National Assembly since 1999, the problems in the power sector had remained.

“You will agree with me that since 1999 to date, the National Assembly has appropriated huge sums of money for the power sector and there are lots and much to be desired from the sector. The problem is you and I; we are not patriotic enough in the discharge of our responsibilities to our nation, Nigeria. “It is embarrassing that when you pick up a newspaper, what you read is ‘Probe, probe and probe.  It is time in our nation-building to rethink and press the reset button on what we do and how we do them, with a view to ensuring that we get value for the monies appropriated for projects.

“It is time we put our hearts into correcting all that is wrong so that we can create an enabling environment for our children.” The Speaker noted that committees of the National Assembly, in the course of carrying out their functions, were at liberty to invite an individual or organisation, in line with Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution.

Earlier, the acting Chairman of the committee, Bello Kumo, in his opening speech, said, “We will be fair and balanced in our action,” Stressing that the panel would guided by the rule of law to ensure compliance with the standing orders of the House and the Constitution.

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