friendsofthecity
March 13th, 2009, 07:54 PM
Power: FG Returns to Abandoned Projects
resuscitation of the abandoned National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) following the agreement reached by the federal and state governments to re-finance it as part of the efforts to attain electricity generating capacity of 6,000 megawatts by the end of the year.
The project, initiated by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005, had not been completed by this administration amidst accusations of inflation of contracts.
The contractors had also not been paid for nearly two years, leading to a lack of progress in the construction works.
It also emerged yesterday that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua approved the work plans of his ministers in an attempt to quicken the pace of his administration.
Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that the Federal Government would make outstanding payments within the next two weeks to mobilise Rockson Engineering Company Limited, the contractor handling the NIPP/PHCN Alaoji power plant.
He led members of the Steering Council on NIPP, comprising six state governors, to the 1074mw Alaoji Power Station in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of Abia State.
Other members of the Steering Committee who accompanied the Vice-President include Governors Theodore Orji of Abia State, Danjuma Goje of Gombe State, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, as well as Namadi Sambo of Kaduna State and the Acting Governor of Ekiti State, Tunde Adeyemi.
Others were the Minister of Power, Dr. Lanre Babalola, and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Odein Ajumogobia.
The Vice-President, who expressed the Federal Government’s satisfaction with the progress of work at the plant, said: “Like I told you, I am here with the governors. These projects are being funded by the Federal Government and the states. A Federal Committee has been set up and I am the chairman of the committee. All the 36 state governors and the FCT Minister are members but they are represented by six governors.
“We meet regularly to make sure that these projects for which we voted $5.3 billion must not be a wasted fund. For us to pay any contractor, we must be sure of what the contractor is doing. You see the governors trekking across the whole sites. Their dresses are wet, because we don’t want cosmetics; we don’t just want to come around and go. We want to be sure that we are spending money that belongs to the people for something useful to the people. We don’t want to pay money and at the end of the day, we start to hear stories,” Jonathan said.
The Vice-President also promised that the Federal Government would give approval for the transportation of the four gas turbines meant for the project from Onne Port to the project site.
The turbines have been lying idle at the ports since 2006 due to lack of approval by government to transport it across the Imo River Bridge, for fear of the collapse of the bridge.
The former administration of Obasanjo had embarked on NIPP to refurbish and develop the power generation capacity in the country and the associated transmission capacity.
The Steering Council on the NIPP was recently inaugurated by Jonathan.
The council will coordinate NIPP activities and ensure efficient generation, transmission and distribution of power to Nigerians.
Goje had said the council would work hard to ensure that power generation, transmission and distribution was fast-tracked within a foreseeable period, as part of efforts to realise the dividends of democracy, as well as the seven-point agenda of the present administration.
He said besides the Steering Council, an Implementation Committee was to work with the project managers to speed up action in the effort to turn around the power sector. According to him, the committee, which would be chaired by the Minister of Power, would draw its members from NNPC, PHCN and the Ministry of Power.
Goje said NIPP is a major project of federal and state governments, and the Steering Council was determined to ensure a significant improvement in power supply within the shortest possible time.
Meanwhile, Yar’Adua has taken further steps to quicken the pace of his administration with his approval of the work plans of the ministers who have now been given the marching order and the free hand to implement the policies of the government without recourse to the president.
“The planning for the seven-point agenda spanning about 20 months is over. The President's assent to the budget by the National Assembly (on Wednesday) signals take-off of implementation in earnest,” a minister told THISDAY.
All Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), especially critical infrastructure ministries, “are now ready with their work plans comprising time lines and deliverables”, he said.
Henceforth, the Federal Executive Council will deliberate more on progress reports by ministers than requests for approvals.
“To ease monitoring and evaluation, a little more than 90 per cent of the total capital expenditure is pumped into power, transport, commercial agriculture, aviation, works and housing, and petroleum.
“Education, health and police also enjoyed increases in the budget to boost human capital, improve our MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) performance and enhance internal security in most crime-infested cities in the country,” he said.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=138033
I personally think the people in position never saw the need for the nation to move forward rather their own say to show who's the authority or who's in power.
resuscitation of the abandoned National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) following the agreement reached by the federal and state governments to re-finance it as part of the efforts to attain electricity generating capacity of 6,000 megawatts by the end of the year.
The project, initiated by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005, had not been completed by this administration amidst accusations of inflation of contracts.
The contractors had also not been paid for nearly two years, leading to a lack of progress in the construction works.
It also emerged yesterday that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua approved the work plans of his ministers in an attempt to quicken the pace of his administration.
Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that the Federal Government would make outstanding payments within the next two weeks to mobilise Rockson Engineering Company Limited, the contractor handling the NIPP/PHCN Alaoji power plant.
He led members of the Steering Council on NIPP, comprising six state governors, to the 1074mw Alaoji Power Station in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of Abia State.
Other members of the Steering Committee who accompanied the Vice-President include Governors Theodore Orji of Abia State, Danjuma Goje of Gombe State, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, as well as Namadi Sambo of Kaduna State and the Acting Governor of Ekiti State, Tunde Adeyemi.
Others were the Minister of Power, Dr. Lanre Babalola, and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Odein Ajumogobia.
The Vice-President, who expressed the Federal Government’s satisfaction with the progress of work at the plant, said: “Like I told you, I am here with the governors. These projects are being funded by the Federal Government and the states. A Federal Committee has been set up and I am the chairman of the committee. All the 36 state governors and the FCT Minister are members but they are represented by six governors.
“We meet regularly to make sure that these projects for which we voted $5.3 billion must not be a wasted fund. For us to pay any contractor, we must be sure of what the contractor is doing. You see the governors trekking across the whole sites. Their dresses are wet, because we don’t want cosmetics; we don’t just want to come around and go. We want to be sure that we are spending money that belongs to the people for something useful to the people. We don’t want to pay money and at the end of the day, we start to hear stories,” Jonathan said.
The Vice-President also promised that the Federal Government would give approval for the transportation of the four gas turbines meant for the project from Onne Port to the project site.
The turbines have been lying idle at the ports since 2006 due to lack of approval by government to transport it across the Imo River Bridge, for fear of the collapse of the bridge.
The former administration of Obasanjo had embarked on NIPP to refurbish and develop the power generation capacity in the country and the associated transmission capacity.
The Steering Council on the NIPP was recently inaugurated by Jonathan.
The council will coordinate NIPP activities and ensure efficient generation, transmission and distribution of power to Nigerians.
Goje had said the council would work hard to ensure that power generation, transmission and distribution was fast-tracked within a foreseeable period, as part of efforts to realise the dividends of democracy, as well as the seven-point agenda of the present administration.
He said besides the Steering Council, an Implementation Committee was to work with the project managers to speed up action in the effort to turn around the power sector. According to him, the committee, which would be chaired by the Minister of Power, would draw its members from NNPC, PHCN and the Ministry of Power.
Goje said NIPP is a major project of federal and state governments, and the Steering Council was determined to ensure a significant improvement in power supply within the shortest possible time.
Meanwhile, Yar’Adua has taken further steps to quicken the pace of his administration with his approval of the work plans of the ministers who have now been given the marching order and the free hand to implement the policies of the government without recourse to the president.
“The planning for the seven-point agenda spanning about 20 months is over. The President's assent to the budget by the National Assembly (on Wednesday) signals take-off of implementation in earnest,” a minister told THISDAY.
All Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), especially critical infrastructure ministries, “are now ready with their work plans comprising time lines and deliverables”, he said.
Henceforth, the Federal Executive Council will deliberate more on progress reports by ministers than requests for approvals.
“To ease monitoring and evaluation, a little more than 90 per cent of the total capital expenditure is pumped into power, transport, commercial agriculture, aviation, works and housing, and petroleum.
“Education, health and police also enjoyed increases in the budget to boost human capital, improve our MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) performance and enhance internal security in most crime-infested cities in the country,” he said.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=138033
I personally think the people in position never saw the need for the nation to move forward rather their own say to show who's the authority or who's in power.