The Minister of Power, Mr Abubakar Aliyu on Wednesday in Abuja inaugurated a Ministerial Power Sector Working Group (MPSWG) to coordinate, monitor and evaluate activities in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.

The MPSWG is chaired by the minister of power, while all technical departments in the Ministry, which include the Energy Resources Department (ERD), Distribution Services Department (DSD), and Transmission Services Department (TSD) are members.

Others are the Investor Services Department (ISD) and the Renewal Rural Power Access Department and all Institutional Stakeholders.

Speaking while inaugurating the MPSWG, Aliyu said that the objective was for the ministry to have a platform where the whole sector would be meeting to discuss its mandate individually and collectively.

“So this is not by any way or means trying to take anybody’s responsibility.

“ The ministry has the mandate of supervising all sectors in the power industry and, in doing this, you need the sector to be very visible to you. So, this is a platform to create visibility.

“ For us here in the ministry and for me and my colleague as ministers, so this is the major reason I set up the MPSWG,‘’ he said.

The minister said that because of the time constraint that the group had to deliver on the mandate, it was decided that the meeting would be held twice a month.

According to him, whatever is discussed at meetings will be handled by a secretariat which is created to guide and record the proceedings.

He said the secretariat would be headed by Mr Mahmood Suleman.

Aliyu said that the secretariat would also follow up all tasks arrived at the the meetings and to also monitor whoever the tasks were given to, either those in the ministry or agencies.

“The secretariat would be domiciled in my office so as to have constant information on what is going on.

“So I want all of you to cooperate and let’s work together and contribute meaningfully without having any fear.

“It is in this kind of meeting that we can talk with one voice because this will help you in doing your various tasks to ensure you contribute meanifully to your assigned tasks.

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“The interface within you will enable you to know where your work stops and another begins, ‘’ he said. (NAN)