The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Jebba

  • Mainstream Energy eyes 1,300Mw of power from Kainji, Jebba

    Mainstream Energy Services Limited (MESL) has increased its generation from 542 megawatts (Mw) to 922Mw and plans to increase it to 1,300Mw.

    MESL was licensed as a power generating firm in 2011. It acquired Kainji and Jebba Hydro Power Plants through a concession agreement in November 2013.

    The two plants are 100km apart with Kainji dam situated on the upstream of Jebba. The two hydro power plants have installed capacities of 760Mw and 578.4Mw.

    In a communiqué at the end of the August ministerial meeting of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing with operators of the power sector, held in Minna, Niger State, Mainstream Energy stated that it is committed to funding the Mainstream Foundation as its corporate social responsibility initiative.

    Mainstream also confirmed that five industrial customers were  benefitting from the Eligible Customer regulation as they are taking their power from its facilities and paying.

    Also, the meeting was told there were desires by industrial customers seeking to benefit from the policy of Eligible Customers.

    Also, the progress being on the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme was discussed and noted that it would attract investment to support the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to meter customers.

    Observers said the challenges of the industry were on distribution infrastructure expansion and supply of meter, though challenges on generation and transmission remain.

    Fashola directed the electricity generating companies (GenCos) to assist in harmonising invoices of gas suppliers to resolve payment issues in the value chain.

    It was noted that recovery of payments by GenCos had increased from 20 to 80 per cent; and that power supply capacity has improved from 4,000Mw to 7,000Mw since the implementation of the N701billion Payment Assurance Facility (PAF) began last year.

    The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) was commended for completing some projects, including the 2x15MVA, 33/11kV Injection substation at Okene; 2×7.5MVA, 33/11kV substation at Kabba;  2x15MVA, 33/11KV at Confluence Beach; and 1×7.5MVA, 33/11KV at Felele all in Kogi State.

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) also acknowledged receipt of directive by the Federal Government to work out and implement Competition Transition Charges as provided by Law, to allay DisCos’ fears of loss of revenue from various policies of Government; encouraged State Governments to work with the DisCos to improve power supply in their respective states, among others.

  • Leadership tussle tears Jebba apart

    The long-drawn fight for the throne of Jebba town, Kwara State, between the families of Abdulkadir Adebara and Kayode Okedara has refused to settle. The battle, apart from being about the crown, is also about ownership of the land in the community.

    The battle assumed a frightening dimension when in 2006, barely after the coronation of Adebara, he was arraigned in the court for impersonation. He spent 19 days in detention before he was granted bail.

    Okedara, his rival to the throne became the principal witness in a case the Kwara State government instituted against Adebara’s ascension. He spent 19 days in Ilorin prison before he was bailed.

    The court affirmed Adebara the legitimate traditional ruler of Jebba after eight years. Despite this, the Kwara State government is still challenging the court’s decision and refused to pay his entitlement.

    The palace spokesperson, Ibrahim Adebara said there were plans to banish the traditional ruler over a crisis that took place within the community which the palace did not instigate.

    He said the palace had written the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly on the unforeseen development, but no response was received.

    “We wrote to the Speaker of the House, as well as various committees in the House after the attack. There was no response, but the latest move now is that they are planning to make an announcement to banish the Oba from the community.

    Government’s misgiving about the traditional ruler was demonstrated on how it handled a crisis that took place at the palace. The government which did not condemn the development waited for another five months to demand for explanation from the transitional ruler the cause of crisis.

    The government’s query to the traditional ruler stated: “It has come to attention of the Kwara Government that during the last Eid-il-Fitri, the public peace of the people of Jebba and environ was disturbed.

    “It is on record that before intervention of the law enforcement agencies, some people had lost their lives and many other sustained varied degrees of injuries.

    ”I therefore have the directive of the governor to demand for explanation from you on the cause of the incident and the role played by your personage.”

    Responding on behalf of the palace, Adebara said the letter addressed to king was disrespectfully mailed to him through a commercial motorcyclist.

    He said: “Our response was that the police had arrested the masterminds of the Sallah day violence before they were obviously embarrassed by the Department of Public Prosecution’s advice.

    “I wish to emphasize that my loyal subjects and I were in a celebration mood, the attack was surprise, carried out in cold blood and unprovoked.

    “It was particularly a surprise because such had never happened in Jebba. We are doing our best to ensure that justice is done, and we are confident that the state government did not issue a statement to condemn the attack on the Oba.”

    The palace further made it clear, weeks after the incident, the Senate President Bukola Saraki mandated former Kwara State Commissioner for Information, Abdulkareem Adisa to brief him on what transpired during the Sallah celebration.

    The unprecedented episode has created some wound in not only the minds of the affected Oba, but also members of his enlarge family and diverse people of Jebba, who are not up till this moment convinced that the act perpetrated was not the handiwork of members of the Okedara family.

  • AfDB approves $100m  for  Kainji, Jebba hydro power projects

    AfDB approves $100m  for  Kainji, Jebba hydro power projects

    The  African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a financing package of $100 million, comprising $80 million loan and $ 20 million equity for the rehabilitation of the Kainji and Jebba hydro plants to increase available capacity from the current available capacity of 917 MW to installed capacity of 1,338.4 MW. The Kainji and Jebba plants are one of Nigeria’s cheapest and steadiest suppliers of electricity.

    A statement from the bank said the financing is rooted in the New Deal on Energy for Africa which is founded on the bank’s high 5 strategy on lighting up and powering Africa. It is also aligned with Nigeria’s national strategic priorities and Vision 2020 on improved access to electricity and diversification of energy sources.

    The AfDB, through this inaugural private sector power transaction, the statement said, aims to play a role in not only increasing generation capacity, but also, and more importantly, contributing to the addition of green power to the grid in a country traditionally dependent on thermal power. It is noted that, with the support of the bank and other development finance institutions, the Federal Government’s ongoing broad power sector reforms are expected to enhance successful private sector participation in the sector.

    The project is expected to deliver strong development outcomes in the country, including but not limited to increased generation capacity and diversification of energy resources; governance and fiscal effects from substantial government revenues; positive environmental effects through power generation from a renewable resource; and private sector development arising from improved business environment, local linkages and knowledge transfer.

    By relaxing energy infrastructure constraints in a high-deficit country, the project has the potential to contribute to the bank’s inclusive growth objective. The contribution to green growth is potentially high, as increased use of a renewable energy resource like hydro power will lower the carbon emission intensity for the power generation system.

  • Train derailment claims four lives in Kwara

    An eleven coach train with one cargo coach at the weekend derailed in Jebba, Moro local government area of Kwara state claiming four lives and injuring three others.
    An eyewitness at the scene of the incident on Sunday said that the accident happened on Saturday night, adding that nothing could be done to rescue the victims.
    Speaking during the inspection of the scene, Transport Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Ameachi represented by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry,Mr. Sabiu Zakari who confirmed the incident said the families of two of the victims have been identified.
    “We were informed when the accident happened and we swung into action immediately but it is unfortunate that we lost four people while three others sustained injuries. The three injured have been treated and discharged immediate and federal government already pick up their bills.”
    ” For the dead, we have been able to identify two of them at the mortuary and we have contacted their families. We will continue to look for the families of the remaining two corpses. Once we get them, government will take responsibility of their burial and we will also ensure how their corpses would be transferred to their relations.”
    He commiserated with the families of the dead and wished those injured quick recovery.
    Also speaking on the accident, the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Engineer Fidet Okhira, said “no time for blame game but to reflect on what happened, mourn those who died and commiserate with their families.”
    He however said those in the coach were illegal passenger who hide in the loads packed by the coach.
    “There are twelve of coaches going to Kano from Lagos and eleven of them are already in Kano. The last one was the one that was involved in the accident. The train that was involved in the accident is not a passenger coach but a carrier one, so those people who died there are illegal passengers who hide in the loads.”
    Mr. Okhiria denied the rumor by some locomotive driver who said there is no life insurance for them saying all their staff are insurance covered which being manage by Industrial and General Insurance (IGI).

  • FG moves to avert flood in Kanji, Jebba dams

    The Federal Government is putting measures in place to avert flooding from the Kanji and Jebba Dams in Niger State.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, disclosed this at the weekend in Abuja.

    Ochekpe, who addressed reporters at a stakeholders’ meeting, explained that the ministry had received a letter from the Power Management Unit of the Transmission Company of Nigeria on the potential threats of floods from the dams.

    She explained the measures are just precautionary to ensure that the impact of excessive flooding experienced last year is reduced.

    The stakeholders at the meeting included representatives of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Ministry of Environment and Niger Commissioner of Water resources among others.

    The minister said: “The floods have not yet come. We are trying to take preemptive measures. We expect that we will all work together so that the devastating effects of flooding do not affect all Nigerians.

    “We are trying to mitigate what may come in future. The government does not want any Nigerian to suffer from the impact of flooding. Those living in the coastal areas should make plans to move.”