Senator Muhammad Bima from Niger State has introduced a bill seeking to ban the importation of generators in the country.
The bill titled ‘Generating Set (Prohibition/Ban) Bill, 2020’ was first read before the Senate on Wednesday.
The bill further directs “all persons to stop the use of electricity generating sets which run on diesel/petrol/kerosene of all capacities with immediate effect, in the country.”
It also lists that “approval for exclusion shall, however, be obtained from the Minister in charge of Power, who shall brief the Federal Executive Council quarterly on approvals granted.”
The bill prescribes, at least, ten years imprisonment for any person who sells generator sets.
The bill will not prevent the use of generator sets for essential services which include medical purposes (hospitals and nursing homes and healthcare facilities); airports; railway stations/services; elevators; (lifts); escalators; research institutions; and facilities that require 24 hours electric power supply.
Meanwhile, another bill to alter the Constitution to provide financial and administrative autonomy for local government councils has passed second reading in the Senate.
The bill sponsored by Senator Ahmad Keita is one of nine other bills for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution presently before the lawmakers.
Other bills that scaled second reading on Wednesday included the Immunity for Federal Lawmakers for Words Spoken at Plenary and a bill to prevent the Federal High Court from entertaining pre-election disputes.
The Senate, however, did not throw the bills open for debate before referring them to its Committee on Constitution Amendment for further legislative action.
