By Levinus Nwabughiogu-Abuja
A bill seeking to create an enabling legal framework for the operation and an administration of National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, NAPTIN, yesterday scaled through a second reading at the House of Representatives.
The bill sponsored by Hon. Tasir Raji Olawale is titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish National Power Training Institute of Nigeria by creating an enabling Framework for the Operation and Administration of the Institute, and for Related Matters (HB. 657).
The bill is coming at a time the Speaker of the House has said the parliament will not entertain establishment bills going forward due to paucity of funds in the federal government coffers.
Moving the motion at the Wednesday, Hon. Raji also gave the synopsis of the bill.
He said: “This establishment bill is to create an institute principally charged with the duty of training, developing and equipping persons in the power sector and beyond. The institute shall also have the power to educate and certify persons according to the provisions of this bill.
“The enactment of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 provided the platform for the deregulation of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry from the control, ownership and regulation of the federal government to private sector-driven industry.
“This reform basically focused on accomplishing many goals amongst which are power stability, reliability, sustainability and human capacity development.
“In response to this reform and to address the lingering issues on human capacity development, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) was established on March 23, 2009, to provide a structural and standardized training process in order to achieve manpower capacity development in the power sector.
With the successful completion of the reform and privatization programme, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) along with some newly established institutions in the power sector, assumed the status of a Parastatal of the Federal Government under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Power.
“In view of the above Executive act, it is imperative that the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) is established by an act of parliament to empower the institute to actualize its mission and goals.
“The creation, establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of the Power Training Institute will serve as a focal point for the development and capacity building as well as a research centre on matters relating to power in Nigeria and Africa at large.
“The Institute once established will also offer a comprehensive proactive engineering and technical training programmes for the professionals, graduate and industrial training (IT) undergraduates in the power and other related sectors.
“The Institute will also design professional certificate programmes that will ensure proficiency and global recognition thereby ensuring a high maintenance culture throughout the industry in order to enhance efficiency. This will also reduce the financial burden on the government over the training of its officials in the power sector”.
The opposition, however, was mounted on the bill when Hon. Ossai Nicholas from Delta State said the bill was unnecessary since the sector had already been deregulated by government.
But Hon. Abiodun Faleke from Lagos State spoke in favour of the bill say “this bill is saying it will provide a bigger framework. So let’s allow the bill to scale through so that stakeholders can debate the bill”.
Making an input to the debate, the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila said “From now forward any member that is bringing an establishment bill must attach debate and cost of such a bill. That’s stating in details how much it will cost the government to establish such an institute.”
The bill eventually received the endorsement of the House when subjected to voice vote.
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