The Cross River State government has declared its readiness to partner with the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE) to bring about the long-desired positive changes in the electricity sector.
This partnership has become essential as issues of electricity supply in Nigeria continue to burden citizens, with NIEEE identifying quackery as one of the challenges in the power sector.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the 2nd Calabar Chapter Chairman and 2024 Executive Committee of the Institute in Calabar over the weekend, the state governor, Senator Bassey Otu, stressed that the power sector is an essential part of economic growth in any society.
Governor Otu, represented by the Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Prince Eka Williams, congratulated the newly inaugurated NIEEE Chairman and his Executive Committee, noting that the state government is committed to partnering with the Institute to bring about change in the electrical sector.
“NIEEE has shown that they are willing to assist the state in terms of manpower development, formulation of policies, and planning for the future. We had a very robust discussion. It is very good.
“That is part of why I have come here, not only to talk about it on paper, but let’s also try to practicalize it. And I’m very happy with the new chairman, and even the President, they are experts in electrical engineering. We agreed jointly to bring about change in the electrical sector,” he said.
Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, shortly after the event, with the theme, “Effective Leadership: A Panacea for Electric Power Sustainability,” the National President of NIEEE, Felix Olu, said one of the challenges in the power sector is the prevalence of quackery within the profession.
While disagreeing with the Guest Speaker, he stated that leadership is not the sole problem facing the sector, noting that quackery has been a major threat.
Olu said, “One of the challenges in the electricity sector is that there are a lot of quacks; it needs reform.
“This problem in the power sector is not new to us; it’s just that it’s not going away. We have been dealing with it for a very long time. Most recently, we did three different tests towards contributing our quota, and like the guest speaker today mentioned, all the problems are about leadership, but it’s not 100 percent leadership.
“The National President disclosed that the institute had met with the National Assembly, calling for a law to distinguish a quack from an authentic practitioner, which was eventually passed.
Also speaking, the newly elected Chairman, Kazeem Ojikutu, said his team would be partnering with the state government to address some of these issues at the state level.
Ojikutu, who was inaugurated alongside his Vice Chairman, Obasi-Sam Ojobe, and other Executive Committee members, further noted that with the establishment of the Chartered Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (CIEEN), the practice of quackery would be reduced to the barest minimum.
“We have revived the engagement in the past few days on how we can improve the power sector in Cross River, most importantly in Calabar metropolis. So luckily for us, we are coming in when the Federal Government has given licences, meaning that the power sector has been domesticated. We have seen it done in other states like Edo.
“A couple of months ago, we saw what happened in Abia and Lagos states too. We have actually sold this idea to the state government and discussed how we will synergize and partner with the state,” the chairman assured.
