Nigerian Senate is set to ban generators in Nigeria with 10-year jail awaiting dealers of power generating sets.
NewsOne Nigeria reports that Senator Bima Enagi, representing Niger south in the Nigerian Senate, has introduced a bill seeking to outlaw electric generators in the country.
This burgeoning online news platform understands that the bill, which passed first reading at plenary on Wednesday, March 11, proposes to ban the importation and use of all kinds of generators in the West African country.
NewsOne Nigeria reports that over 50% of the Nigerian population, depend on generators for electricity generation in their homes and businesses due to irregular power supply in the country.
At the moment, Nigeria currently generates approximately 4,000mw of electricity but distributes about 3,000mw for a population believed to be close to 200 million.
A copy of the bill which was obtained by TheCable states that anybody who imports or sells generators into Nigeria risks at least ten years of imprisonment.
The bill states that anybody who: “Imports generating sets; or knowingly sells generating sets shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not less than ten years”.
According to the bill, all persons are hereby directed to “stop the use of electricity generating sets which run on diesel/petrol/kerosene of all capacities with immediate effect in the country”.
The bill, however, exempts generating sets used for “essential services”, identifying the essential services to include medical purposes (hospitals and nursing homes and healthcare facilities), airports and railway stations/ services.
Also listed as essential services are elevators, escalators, research institutions and such facilities that require 24 hours of electric power supply. The bill added that the approval for exclusion shall be obtained from the minister of power.