Abia to hold public hearing on electricity bill – Govt

The Abia Government says it has plans to convene Public Hearing on Abia State Electricity Bill, which is pending at the state House of Assembly.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr Okey Kanu, said this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the state Executive Council meeting.

Kanu said that the House was expected to quicken the process of passing the bill when they resume from their recess.

“The passage of the bill will give further impetus to the ongoing reforms in the state’s power sector,” he said.

Kanu also said that school resumption for the 2024/25 academic session has been postponed from September 16 to Wednesday, September 23 because of the public holiday.

“Abia has been selected as one of the six states that would fly Nigeria’s flag at an international medical symposium holding in Ghana.

“The symposium is a bi-phesic initiative between the World Bank and the Federal Government.

“The symposium is entitled HOPE, which stands for – Human Capital Opportunity for Prosperity and Equity,” he said.

The commissioner said that Abia was chosen because of the focus on the state due to the ongoing reforms in the state’s health sector.

He said that the Light-up Abia Initiative had been expanding beyond Aba and Umuahia with 4,346 Solar Lights installed in 86 locations across the state.

He also said that the lights were meant to improve the security and aesthetics of the towns for comfort.

Also, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Mr Ikechukwu Monday, said that the bill picked relevant items from an existing electricity Act.

He said that the old law was passed before the Federal Government removed electricity generation, transmission and distribution from the exclusive legislative list.

Monday said the new bill, when passed, would help the establishment of an Abia electricity regulatory authority to regulate the state’s electricity market.

He promised that the law will protect Abia residents and investors in the energy sector, having provided for prepaid meters installation and possibility of recouping investor’s funds.