The Asaba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ASACCIMA) has organized a sensitization programme on the New Delta State Electricity Law.
The event, which took place at the Chamber’s office in Asaba on Thursday, dwelt on the benefits of the law to Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs in Delta State.
In her opening speech, the President of ASACCIMA, Obi Chief Chinwe Monu-Oduah Esq; said electricity was key to driving any business and required critical intervention to make it steadily available.
She noted that many business owners had closed shop due to short supply of electricity from the national grid and the consequent high cost of running power generating sets.
Obi Chief Monu-Oduah commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the political will to liberalize the power sector by removing it from the Exclusive to the Concurrent list of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
The ASACCIMA President further commended the Delta State House of Assembly for domesticating the Power Sector Reform Act in the state and thanked Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for swiftly signing the Bill passed by the House in that regard into law.
She assured the participants, drawn from the grassroots, that the law held lots of benefits for them when implemented, pointing out that the sensitization was to expose them to such benefits and how they could tap from them.
A renowned Green Energy Advocate and Osowa Owelle of Asaba, Engr Chief Chris Chukwurah FNSE, FNIProcE, FINEE, FNIM; who chaired the event, commended ASACCIMA for blazing the trail in sensitizing the business community, especially Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs, on the pros and cons of the new electricity law.
Engr Chukwurah particularly hailed Obi Chief Monu-Oduah, who was recently appointed to the Advisory Council of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), for the leadership she had shown since assuming office as ASACCIMA President,
He said by liberalizing the power sector, the Federal Government was on the path to addressing a key challenge facing Nigerians and the economy, expressing confidence that the domestication of the power sector reform in Delta State, with the adoption of a decentralized mini-grid model of electricity and the establishment of new regulatory bodies to drive a sustainable power market, would be the needed magic wand to boost Small and Medium Scale Entreprises in the state.
Engr Chukwurah also talked about renewable/green energy, which he said was a better alternative to the conventional electricity that could help businesses to grow, informing the gathering that the ECCCGEF had sustainably been leading advocacy on Green Energy, make it available and affordable to the people.
The sensitization programme featured presentations by the Chairman, Delta State Investment Development Agency (DIDA), Hon Anthony Elekeokwuri, represented by the Director Admin, Mr. Jaho; the Chairman, Delta State Assembly Committee on Energy, Hon Frank Esenwa: represented by the Vice Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government, Hon Ambassador Uju Okolo, the President of DACCIMA, Engr. Anthony Okoh.
Others were the pioneer President of ASACCIMA, Chief Afam Obiago; the Chairman/CEO of VON Nigeria Limited, Asaba, Engr Fidelis Obishai FNSE, FNIPE, FNIEE; the 1st Deputy President of ASACCIMA Hon Peter Isioma Okolie; among others.
ASACCIMA Leads Sensitization on Delta New Electricity Law