Lawmakers in the House of Representatives express concern about the functionality of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the National Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), demands five-year performance assessment report
The House Ad-hoc Committee investigating Overlapping Functions of Government Agencies on Thursday, has demanded a five-year performance assessment report from the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to justify its existence in line with the mandate of the probe panel.
The Committee noted that the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the National Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) are not living up to their mandate of providing employment to teeming unemployed Nigerians, adding that there is a weak metering system by electricity distribution companies in the power sector.
Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Victor Mela (PDP, Adamawa) gave the ruling at an investigative hearing where NEMSA, NDE, NELMC (Nigeria Electricity Liability Limited) and others were invited and grilled by the Committee.
Inaugurated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; the committee has the mandate to investigate the issue of overlapping mandate of some government agencies; stressing the need to merge some of the agencies.
At the hearing, Managing Director of NEMSA, Engr. Aliyu Tukur said that the agency was established in 2015 by federal government to ensure that there is reliable electricity supply in the nation’s power industry. He explained that the agency is mandated by law to ensure that materials used in the industry meet technical specifications, adding that the agency is in-charge of quality metering.
However, some members Committee as Rep. Adedeji Olajide and Rep. Zacharia Yanpan expressed displeasure over their overall performance in the terms of stable electricity in the industry. They argued that the agency has overlapping mandate with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and lamented that government is facing huge challenge in the funding of them
Olajide also said “the agency is sucking the blood of Nigerian citizens and should be merged with other agencies performing similar functions.”
NDE’s Director-General, Abubakar Nuhu said that the agency is mandated by law to provide employment to unemployed Nigerians and vulnerable persons residing in Nigeria. He further explained that “the agency has presence in all the States of the federation and local council areas and had been providing employment and skills for unemployed Nigerians in line with their mandate”
In his reaction, the Committee Chairman, Rep. Mela noted that there is massive unemployment in the country and the agency had not really lived up to its responsibility. On his part, Rep. Simon Karu immediately moved a motion that the agency provides a five-year performance assessment report on employment generation or it should be recommended for merger by the panel.
The lawmakers also threatened zero allocation to the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) in the 2023 Budget for its failure to address issues of power failure.
Ruling on the matter, the Committee Chair and other members voted in favor of the motion and gave the NDE one week to submit the report.
