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Tag: MINISTER OF POWER

  • Bello lauds FG over Geregu power plant

    Bello lauds FG over Geregu power plant

    Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has commended the Federal Government and other stakeholders for the completion of three turbines power generation at Geregu Power Plant in the state.

    Bello gave the commendation at the 22nd Power Sector Monthly Meeting with power stakeholders and other participants held at Geregu Power Plc, Ajaokuta on Monday.

    The governor expressed his appreciation to the Minister of  Power, Works and Housing, the President and the Vice President for the good job they had been doing in the power sector.

    “Today, we are glad that there is a relative improvement in the power generation and transmission across Nigeria, especially in Kogi.

    “The Federal Government has virtually solved all the power problems but we need a little patience to identify the communities which do not have electricity in Kogi to install the required transformers.

    “I want to encourage investors to make enough investment in power distribution so that various communities at the grassroots in Kogi and Nigeria at large can begin to enjoy the benefits.

    “When we assumed office, we met a dispute regarding Kabba Power Transmission substation, but we immediately waded in and resolved the issues for the work to be completed.”

    The governor said that the state government had made efforts to reduce cases of reported and unreported kidnapping and armed robbery cases in the state.

    “Without adequate security, the power plant here will not be safe and we will not be talking about generation, transmission or distribution.

    “We have been supporting and equipping our security agencies to ensure that the contractors and their workers working on the roads are safe and secure,” he said.

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola said that the power production had reached an all-time high of over 7,000 megawatts in the nation.

    According to him, the ministry in collaboration with all the stakeholders has created a safe and more conducive environment to gain the confidence of investors in the power sector.

    “On December 8, we reached an all-time power production of 7,000 and a great peak supply of 5,155 Megawatts, which Nigeria has never produced or generated that much power into the grid.

    Read also: We are expecting additional 1,129 MW in 2018 – Fashola

    “The last supply was 5074 MW in January 2016, after which we went into a season of disruption of gas supply by militants.

    “It means that our policies and programmes are working, and we are also now able to evacuate substantially all of that power by transmission,” he said.

    Fashola expressed his gratitude to the government for paying the compensation that was militating against the development of the Kabba Transmission Sub-station.

    Mr Adeyemi Adenuga, the Managing Director, Generation, Geregu Power Plant, said that the plant was handed over to private company on Oct. 1, 2013.

    Adenuga said that the new owners had invested about 94 million dollars into the plant to bring it the present state.

    “Right now, we can successfully run three units (turbines) comfortably, effectively and efficiently. So, we hope that from this meeting, we will get the needed loads for our machine,” Adenuga said.

    Mr Otayitie Eminefo, the Special Adviser on Energy and Power to the governor, applauded the minister and stakeholders for their visit to the state.

    He appealed to stakeholders to give priority to electrification projects in the state.

    NAN

  • ECOWAS to improve electricity to states

    ECOWAS to improve electricity to states

    Due to the strategic importance of energy in achieving sustainable development and poverty reduction in the ECOWAS and Sahel region, the World Bank and ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREE), have designed a regional renewable energy project, the Regional Off-Grid Electrification Project (ROGEP), aimed at increasing access to sustainable electricity supply, most especially in the rural areas of member states.

    This was made known at a  One- Day Workshop organized by ECOWAS and the World Bank, supported by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in Abuja, with the theme: “Promoting Private Investment Standalone Solar Systems in West Africa and the Sahel”.  Ag. Director, Press, Mrs. Etore Thomas disclosed this in a statement Thursday.

    The Permanent Secretary, Power, Louis Edozien, who represented the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, at the event disclosed that stakeholders in the Power Sector should move from policy formulation and focus more on policy implementation in the electricity value chain, emphasizing, that this would improve the living standards of rural dwellers in the ECOWAS sub region.

    He said we want to move from ‘’talking to acting, and to achieve that, we need to tackle manpower issues, funding gaps and materials’’.

    The Minister said the Regional off -Grid Electrification Projects (ROGEP) was designed by ECOWAS and World Bank to increase access to sustainable electricity services in the ECOWAS region for household, commercial enterprises and public facilities.

    The main objectives of the workshop was to create awareness and improve information on ROGEP and the national stakeholders, to share experience where we are on electricity, especially solar power system, identify challenges and proffer solutions in the electricity industry in the ECOWAS Region, among others.

  • FG plans for grid stability in 2018

    FG plans for grid stability in 2018

    In its bid to ensure grid stability next year, the Federal Government’s Power Sector Recovery Programme has set a baseline power supply for a minimum of 4,500MWH/H daily for 2018.

    The Programme which power sector Chief Executive Officer, led by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola took turn to explain to journalists in Abuja, has proposed in its operational and technical intervention that would stabilize power not to dip below 4,500MW by 2018.

    It says that ” Baseline power generation, transmission and distribution: Ensure minimum baseline power supply of 4,500MWH/H is guaranteed and distributed daily from 2018 to ensure stability of the grid.”

    Besides, the Programme also unfolded financial interventions for funding both past and further sector deficits from 2017 to 2021 and execute a plan to fund the required Electricity Market Support until tariffs support sector liquidity.

    Part of the financial plans, according to the Programme, is to eliminate past sector revenue deficits of N420billion from December 2016.

    The Programme also however revealed that the World Bank has expressed its willingness to assist the Federal Government electricity plan with a total financial support of $2.5billion.

    Meanwhile,  Fashola said that the Federal Government is about to start negotiation with the Chinese Exim Bank  for the $4.92billion loan for the construction of the 3050Mega Watts (MW) hydroelectric power plant in Mambilla, Sarduana Local Government Area of Taraba State.

    He recalled that the Federal Government had last Friday signed the contract for the project construction with three Chinese firms.

    The $5.79bn project is expected to be completed in six years. The funding consist of $4.92bn from the Chinese Exim Bank and other Chinese lenders are expected to provide 85 percent of the contract sum amounting to $4.92 billion, the Federal Government will put forward 15 percent amounting to $868.87million.

    The scope of work for the project includes, four large dams (Nya, Sumsum, Nghu and Api Weir), and two underground power house of 12 units of 250mw each.

    The other project components include two units of 330KV of 700km transmission lines to Makurdi and Jalingo, 120km of access roads connecting the project site and nearby communities and the resettlement of an estimated 100,000 impacted persons.

    Fashola however said Sunday that: in terms of Mambilla plant construction, two major steps have been taken. We have gotten the Federal Executive Council approval. That was what happened a few months back.

    “The next step was to sign the execution and procurement contract, which is the contract for construction that took place last Friday.

    “As you rightly pointed out, it is supposed to be funded by the Chinese Exim Bank loan, the negotiation for the loan will now start. For this, now we are waiting because it is now the Ministry of Finance takes over, who are the ones who do treasury work for Nigeria. So she (Minister of Finance) will lead the negotiations . And when we secure the loan then we are going to be able to tell you that this is the start date.”

    The minister revealed that despite the expectation of the loan a lot of preparatory work like the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the loan with that state government ongoing.

    He added that a liaison office has been hired in the state government while the project planning team was also constituted by the ministry.

    The ministry, according to him, has identified people while the contractors have already started route estimation, route analysis and movement of heavy equipment.

    The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Louis Edozien said that the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) supplied 4,922MW on Tuesday, stressing that it was only 100MW lesser than the average highest  peak power generation that was recorded in the market this year and ever.

    His words: “Tuesday , the peak generation on the national grid was 4,922.9MW. It is just 100MW less than the maximum we ever had on the grid of 5,074. The total energy generated yesterday was 99,022MWH. That amount that you consumed in your homes is part that 99,022MWH.”

    Meanwhile, the Managing Director, Nigeria Bulk Electricity Company (NBET) said that N701billion was implemented from the January invoices.

    According to her, the January invoices have been merged because when the generation companies supply electricity 90 days time lag have to pass for the invoices to be read and reconciliation to be done before payment.

    The NBET, according to her, is not owing but it is operations a conventional system which has made it pay from January to May for the electricity they supply for the period.

    The delay, according to her,  is that there must be a reconciliation for the past payment which it is doing manually and expects to conclude the process in the next two weeks to pay to the outstanding from June to date.

  • Senate summons Fashola over $1b power project funds

    Senate summons Fashola over $1b power project funds

    The Senate on Wednesday mandated its joint committee on Power and Public Accounts to invite the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to give a detailed account of the public funds spent on the Fast Power Projects particularly Afam Fast Power Project.

    The upper chamber said that Fashola should also give evidence of feasibility study indicating the viability of the projects and requisite appropriation by the National Assembly as required by the Constitution.

    It said that the minister should also furnish the Senate with presidential approval for the projects

    It also asked the committee to investigate the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority ( NSIA), Nigerian Electricity Bulk Trading Company ( NBET) and others to establish the status of the balance of $350million from the $1 Eurobond issued by the Federal Government in 2013.

    The joint committee was given two week to report back to the Senate

    The resolution followed the adoption of a motion entitled “Monumental fraud in the power sector” sponsored Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West).

    Melaye in his lead debate noted that sometime in July 2013, the Federal Government raised a total sum of $1Billion through a Eurobond issue.

    He said that he is aware that the sum of $350 million was taken by the Federal Government out of the proceeds of the July 2013 Eurobond issue and released to Nigeria Electricity Bulk Trading Company ( NBET) Plc as shareholder contribution to shore up its capitalization.

    He also said that he is further aware that NBET is a Federal Government owned public liability company that deals in electricity trading and management of associated liabilities.

    Melaye noted that the sum of $350 million released to NBET was to demonstrate NBET’s preparedness to assume its role as a government backed electricity bulk trader to provide market confidence in the privatized electricity market.

    He observed that the move by the Federal Government was intended to backstop NBET’S with new investors in the electricity market especially new generation companies and to provide assurance to them that NBET is a credit worthy off-taker of power with the requisite capitalization to meet its payment obligations to both greenfield and brownfields power generating companies.

    He further observed that as confidence building measure, $350 million was domiciled with the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) for reinvestment in low risk investment and structured in a manner that N BET can call for funds at short notice when required

    He said that the fund has been with NSlA since 2014 and has helped build market confidence especially among new investors in the electricity market who see NBET’s positive balance sheet as a form of security that their investments are safe and that NBET has the wherewithal to meet its payment obligations.

    He expressed alarm that “there is now a desperate attempt by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to retrieve this fund ( $ 350 million) and divert same to fund the so called Fast Power Projects which the Ministry has already spent $35 million of public funds not appropriated by the National Assembly.”

    Melaye said that he is “further alarmed that since the introduction of the Fast Power Project by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, a total sum of $35 million has been spent by the Ministry on Afam Power Project alone to pay $29 million to General Electric (GE) as cost for turbines and $6million in consultancy fees to other entities respectively, all without requisite feasibility study of the projects and appropriation by the National Assembly as required by the Constitution.”

    He observed that “a lot of questions are begging for answers as regards the $29 million paid to General Electric and the $6 million paid to other consultants as to: “Who were the Consultants and how were they procured?

    “Was there observance of due process in awarding the consultancy of $6 million and in paying General Electric $29 million for turbines?

    “Why is the transaction cloaked in secrecy?  “What is the true value of Afam Fast Power?

    “Why is the Ministry engaging in constructing new power plant while government has several idle plants that is seeking buyers for?

    “Why is the Ministry that is supposed to be making policies, dabbling into constructing new power plants that we have all agreed is better handled by the private sector?”

    Melaye expressed concerned that the Federal Ministry of Power , Works and Housing is “determined to persist in this brazen violation of the Constitution and extant laws on due process by insisting that the NSIA should release the $350 meant to NBET on the pretext of acting under a purported presidential approval.”

    He said that he is convinced that there is an urgent need to bring the Ministry to order regarding its planned diversion of the sum of $350 meant for NBET and further demand a detailed account of unappropriated public funds spent on the controversial fast power projects.

    Senator Gbenga Ashafa in his contribution said that for the Senate to do a thorough job, those mentioned in the motion should be given opportunity to say their own side of the story.

    He noted that some of the allegations raised in the motion were grave and should not be taken without hearing from those involved.

  • Electricity tariff: Senators to meet Fashola

    Electricity tariff: Senators to meet Fashola

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Monday said that his Committee has concluded plans to meet Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola to address concerns raised by power Distribution Companies (DISCOS), over electricity pricing.

    Abaribe who was said to have disclosed this during a tour of Power installations under the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), in Port Harcourt, noted that the committee was seeking to address the contentious issue of electricity tariff.

    The senator was said to have agreed that fluctuations in pricing was affecting the sector.

    Senator Abaribe, accompanied by six other senators on the visit, was said to have told officials of PHEDC that his Committee wanted to resolve the question of differentials between the money payable to generation companies and other stakeholders by the Discos.

    According to him, all options will be placed on the table during the proposed meeting with the Minister.

    He said: “We have had this discussion about pricing. We are taking it up with the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing. What we are looking for is a stable price. We do not want a system where things fluctuate. We will sit with them and look at all the variables.”

    The Senator also told the leadership of the PHEDC that they needed to work closely with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to tackle activities of vandals.

    The NSCDC, he said, is empowered by law to protect critical national infrastructure and prosecute vandals. He said the police is limited in the prosecution of vandals.

    He said: “The question about prosecution is key. There is a law passed by the National Assembly to empower the Civil Defence Corps. They have powers to prosecute people who engage in energy or cable theft. They have the power to do that. If you drag them to the police, the fines are less. With Civil Defence Corps, you get favourable judgments.”

    He said: “The job of the National Assembly is to legislate and help with laws that will make laws easier. This is one of the reasons we are going on oversight. The issue of right of way has come of age that we have to collaborate with state governments. It has to do with land use. I do not think state governments give the permission to people to build along power lines.

    “Because of the decay, people now do certain things and nobody gets fined. The laws are already there. It is the enforcement of these laws that is the problem. We need to work with state governments to implement these laws.

    “Part of your corporate social responsibility is to ensure that the people in places where you do business are part of your campaigns. These problems are peculiar to our system.

    “People now use transformer oil to fry akara and even cook. There are places in Nigeria where these things happen. We need to educate people on the dangers of these things. DISCOS need to carry out more awareness programmes to educate their people.

    “We must begin to differentiate between the rich and the poor. The most vulnerable in the society should not pay. There is a place in Brazil where poor people stay. We visited them. We discovered that the whole community was connected, but they were not paying. We should have that system here.”

    Acting Chief Executive of PHEDC, Engineer Kingsley Achife was said to have in his speech told the committee that the Discos were faced with serious challenges.

    He said: “One of the biggest problems is electricity theft. Very highly connected individuals are involved. About 130 people are currently in custody over this theft. We are appealing to the Senate to make hostility against electricity staff a crime. Our staff have been kidnapped, shot at and killed in their course of doing their duties. We need the help of lawmakers to put an end to this.

    “Some communities reject metering here. Whenever our staff goes there, they are either beaten up or chased out. This is a problem. In places where we have put metres, the communities have bypassed them and they do not pay their bills. This is a major challenge we are facing.”

     

  • Reps query Minister’s utilization of N22bn without result

    Reps query Minister’s utilization of N22bn without result

    The House of Representatives committee on Power Wednesday queried Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc over the utilization of N22 billion monthly on gas without commensurate result..

    Subsequently the lawmakers summoned the Minister of Power, Mr Raji Fashola over the violation of the 2017 Appropriation Act.

    In a bid to obtain relevant information, the Committee also summoned the permanent secretary, Mr. Louis Edozien and Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to come along with the Minister.

    The minister is to give details on the activities of the power ministry as well as the level of procurement processes of each project.

    The Daniel Asuquo – headed committee summoned to Minister sequel to his absence at a hearing on the issue yesterday.

    While reacting to the submission of the Minister’s representatives, A member of the committee Toby Okechukwu criticized the indiscriminate injection of fund into the distribution companies by Federal Government.

    “I don’t know whether the acquisition of the distribution companies is worth more than N701 billion. The total capital of these companies may not be up to N701 billion. Yet we are borrowing money to support them and give NBET,” he said.

    Mark Gbillah, another member while doubting the liquidity of NBET and TCN, warned that if drastic action is not taken, the power sector faces imminent collapse in the next six to seven years

    His words: “We are trying to pay for the business of certain individuals at that level of gas and generation. We need to do a forensic study of these gas companies.

    “What are they actually generating? What are we always required to pay them? The generating companies always tell us a mongos figures of what they are generating, and how there’s no transmission capacity, the losses that they experience.

    “We need to start from the bottom up as well from the gas angle. Where are these monies going to? This question goes to the Permanent Secretary. What is the utilization of these funds and the level of generation along the value chain, the operating cycle from GENCOS to TCN and DISCOs?

    “Is this the best model in the world? I think NBET only came to complicate the issues in the centre of the value chain,”

    However, the failure of the permanent secretary who represented the Minister to provide detailed information requested by the committee on unauthorized spendings did not help matters.

    The allegation against the ministry was a source of concern to the lawmakers and the minister and the Managing Directors of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company and Transmission Company of Nigeria were expected to furnish the committee with answers.

    As far as the committee was concerned, the ministry had frustrated the 2017 appropriation Act.

    The Chairman of the committee, Daniel Asuquo said that the committee had been mandated by the House to protect the interest of the citizens, adding that that the minister and his Permanent Secretary have breached the law.

    The power sector, he said, is poorly managed with a high level of impunity.

    He said: “We are not seeing the will from the Executive because all we see are the people who just want to put us in debt, debt and debt even without passing through due process, because TCN is a can a worm from our own overview.

    “We need to bring out this to the public for them to know the state of our power, we have parleyed too much.. How much of this can the distribution companies take.”

  • Obsolete equipment hindering power distribution, says Fashola

    Obsolete equipment hindering power distribution, says Fashola

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, on Wednesday explained why distribution companies (Discos) reportedly rejected over 9,000 megawatts of electricity within one week recently.

    Noting that power generation has grown from 2,690 megawatts in 2015 to 6,800 this August, he said that there is a problem with distribution caused by the inability of Discos to upgrade their equipment to the level of the generation being made.

    According to him, an average of 4,000 megawatts of power are not accepted regularly, due to the weak capacity of the equipment being used by the Discos.

    He said that some of the equipment acquired by the Discos upon privatisation have become antiquated and obsolete and hence, require being upgraded if they would be able to absorb and distribute the existing megawatts of electricity.

    The Minister said that the government was committed to guaranteeing stable power supply, pointing out that the power sector reform of the federal government would address that problem.

    He said, “On the rejection of 9,000 megawatt of power, I have not read the report.  As at the beginning of the 10th August this year, the amount of power that was available to be delivered to the grid was 6,800 plus megawatts. So what that means is that from 2,690 in 2015 when this government was inaugurated, we have demonstrated that we can grow.

    “We have overcome the gas challenges and the vandals and pipeline repairs have progressed and that has impacted success on the generation side. Our power is going to come from different sources, hydro, gas, solar and that is why we are investing in mambilla for more hydro so that when one source is vulnerable we can rely on another’s source.

    “But in addition to power increase in terms of production, the transmission capacity has also increase, it has moved from the proverbial 5,000 to 6,700 megawatt that we can will. But the problem now is at the distribution end. For the kind of sustainable power we all want to see, it means every part of the value chain must work. And that is why I will continue to say that as we demonstrate our ability on generation and transmission we will demonstrate the same on our distribution.

    “So what we are now putting on the grid because the Discos can’t take the power is roughly about 2,000 megawatt so there is 4,000 plus averagely that is not being taken. So if you calculate for three days or five days, that your submission on 9,000 is probably not correct.” he said

    On whether the improvement of power supply in the country is a result of raining season or improvement on the part of Discos, Fashola said, “what is interesting is that for the first time in a long time, our gas fired plants and our hydro power plants driven by water have converged together, and when you factor that to the improvement that the Gencos investors have made into their plants and are still making, it explains the improved power supply that you have.”

  • Osinbajo okays issuance of 615 land titles

    Osinbajo okays issuance of 615 land titles

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has approved the issuance of 615 pending land titles to the applicants.

    He gave the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola approval to sign the land titles.

    The Minister briefed State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with the Acting President at the Presidential Villa Abuja on Tuesday night.

    The approval, he said, is to enable land transactions, mortgages, assignments and debentures across the country.

    According to him, the letters were already being issued to the applicants.

    The Ministry, he said, received the delegation of authority on July 27, and was awaiting another delegation of authority to issue the Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) for the approved titles.

    He said “Just to update the members of the public about the delegation of authority to issue consent for land transactions.

    “It has accumulated for a while but we received the delegation, I believe, on 27th of July.

    “On the first week of August my office approved all of the 615 pending applications for land transactions, mortgages, assignments, debentures and all of those things,” he said .

    He added “So, letters are being issued now to all the applicants and those who haven’t received theirs should just tally a while.

    “In a matter of a few days to fortnight from now we would have cleared that backlog then we go and deal with the pending applications for Certificates of Occupancy.

    “Again, we are expecting delegation of authority for that one.’’ he stated

    Fashola said that the applications had piled up which should not have happened adding that it was important to tell the public about the approvals.

    According to him, the implication is that it is a further boost to the economy.

    He said that those who wanted to borrow or lend money or had sold or planning to sell their land could complete those transactions and money could move round.

    The Minister explained that titles could change hands as all businesses related to land whether the person was running a school, bank, a newspaper agency or catering outfit.

    “Everything revolves around it so it helps to drive us closer to our journey out of recession and implement the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan,’’ he said‎.

  • I’m not fighting lawmakers – Fashola

    I’m not fighting lawmakers – Fashola

    The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola on Tuesday said that his face-off with the National Assembly is to get better results for the country.

    Fashola spoke with State House correspondents at the venue of the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    He said that he was not fighting the lawmakers but only had disagreement with them.

    Stressing that he has many friends among the lawmakers, he said that that would not stop the right thing from being done.

    Fashola said “There is no problem between me as an individual and the National Assembly. And let me make that very clear, many of the senators and honourable members are my personal friends, and so you don’t fight your friends.

    “But we have a disagreement. And the context of that disagreement. You will remember when President Muhammadu Buhari launched the economic recovery and growth plan; he had enormous support from the leadership of the National Assembly. So it means that we all agree there is a problem.

    “There is also disagreement which I don’t think should make us disagreeable about the best way to implement that plan and I think that is all there is to it.

    “It is perhaps possible that in the heat of the moment while trying to canvass different positions we are misconstrued as fighting but I am not fighting anybody. We have a disagreement it shouldn’t make us disagreeable.

    “So my responsibility is to continue to engage. Also even if I wasn’t a minister, I am a citizen also so the parliamentarians are also representing me. So these are the issues and if I have been misunderstood my intention was not to quarrel with anybody but to see a better Nigerian which I believe they also want to see.” he said

    On the belief that the feud may delay the presentation of budget virement and the 2018 budget to the National Assembly, Fashola said “Again I say the words that we use portends potentially redirects our attention from what the real issue is. I don’t think a feud is the right word to use. A disagreement yes, a very healthy disagreement.

    “Don’t forget we are not disagreeing on who should head what, who should take what share of the National cake but we are disagreeing on how to develop Nigeria. And for me that is a very healthy development of our democracy.

    “I’m sure with the leadership of the National Assembly- Senate President, speaker of the House of Representatives, the principal officers and the Acting President, we will resolve this in the ultimate interest of the Nigerian people.” he said

    Speaking on what his Ministry has been able to do concerning the power situation in Nigeria, he said “Well  is an ongoing undertaking. As I have said our road map is incremental power first and stable power and then uninterrupted power and that’s a journey. But we are focusing on incremental power.

    “Just yesterday as one of our incremental power initiatives, we commissioned the Kukoba power substation to increase light to Abuja by another 120 megawatt carrying capacity. So it involves not only transmission but also involves generation work, distribution work, enabling the distribution companies perform better, enabling.

    “The GENCOs perform better and doing our own responsibility which is transmission.
    So is an ongoing undertaking. As I said you must measure what we have done from where we started. on May 29,2015, the power on the grid was 2,690 megawatts and we kept it now at relatively at about 4,000. With that it’s going to be the minimum except for occasions where we have mechanical and electrical outages and we fix them back.

    “Everyone knows that mechanical devices from time to time sometimes they breakdown, sometimes they don’t work, sometimes you need to maintain and fix them.” he said

    He said that the private sector has always been in any economy with a capital disposition, being the driver of growth, the driver of development and ultimately government must interface with the private sector the way we are going at this presidential quarterly business forum to hear from them where the shoes pinches most, where we can make it easier, where we can make it better, how we can do so.”

    According to him, it is only by understanding problems that quality solutions can be offered.

    The quality solutions, he said, will include executive actions, sometimes legislative actions, sometimes judicial interventions.

    “As I have announced today  as a mixture of government’s policy options to help private sector do its best. Our focus has been on ease of doing business, enabling the private sector be the best they can to compete and be efficient locally and globally,” he stated.

     

  • Fashola: Lagos Assembly demands apology from Goje

    Fashola: Lagos Assembly demands apology from Goje

    The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, on Monday directed the Clerk, Mr Sanni Azeez, to write a protest letter to the Senate over a comment by Sen. Danjuma Goje.

    This followed a motion moved by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Mr Tunde Braimoh, in respect of a statement credited to Goje (APC-Gombe Central) against the House.

    Former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje

    Braimoh recalled a statement made by Goje, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, on July 5.

    He said Goje had reportedly told the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, not to see the National Assembly as an institution he could control the way he controlled the Lagos Assembly.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Goje had replied Fashola over issues bothering on the 2017 budget.

    Braimoh said that the matter was reported in the national newspapers edition of July 6, 2017.

    “The senator derogatorily referred to the Lagos State House of Assembly by saying that the National Assembly was not Lagos State House of Assembly.

    “The statement is derogatory, uncomplimentary and it is an insult on the Assembly.

    “The constitution does not give the senate power to superintend the state assembly.

    “All the newspapers reported the story and it is an uncomplimentary and disparaging as well as an unparliamentary statement. The context in which the statement was made was slanderous,” he said.

    According to him, the statement brings the House to public ridicule and it made people to feel that the House is a rubber stamp.

    “Goje ought to be more civil with words with his status,’’ he said.

    In his contributions, the Chairman, House Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, said Lagos Assembly was an institution that people of other climes appreciate.

    Olowo said that if Goje has issues with Fashola, he should sort it out rather than insulting the assembly.

    He, however, said that the house should write the Senate to reprimand the senator on the matter.

    In his remarks, Mr Yinka Ogundimu, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance, described the statement as provocative.

    Also, Mr Tobun Abiodun, the Chairman, House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, said that there were certain expectations from lawmakers based on ethics of the office.

    “What Goje said is an insult on the leadership of this House. We demand an apology from Goje and the senate,” he said.

    The House later adjourned the plenary session until Tuesday.