3 November 2009
editorial
The Federal Government must cash-in on the return of peace in the Niger Delta, courtesy of its successful amnesty deal with the militants, to ensure that the December target of generation of 6,000 mega watts of power is realized.
This demand is hinged on the fact that before now, the various critical players in the power generation project have advanced one alibi or the other to explain why the presidential target given the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) to generate, at least, 6000mw of power on or before December 31, 2009 and to deliver same to the national pool at Osogbo, Osun state, for grid distribution across the country, can not be achieved.
Chief among the reasons why the target can only be met in the breach was the absence of gas, which is critical for the firing of the power plants. The international oil companies (IOCs), and their Joint Venture Partner - the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had claimed that the militancy in the Niger Delta region was impeding their gas development efforts.
In fact, the argument was strong that the Federal Government in July announced that it would, if need be, import gas from the United States of America (USA) and Argentina to make sure the 6000mw target was met.
To further prove its commitment to the realization of the target, government also approved the princely sum of $2.6 billion for the Joint Venture Partners to fast-track their gas supply to the NIPP.
While there may no longer be any need to import gas from elsewhere, given the restoration of peace in the Niger Delta, the IOCs and the NNPC must, of necessity, rise up to the challenge of delivering adequate quantities of gas to the NIPPs to ensure that the increasing darkness Nigerians have been subjected to, by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), becomes considerably reduced.
We are aware that most of the pipelines hitherto used to deliver gas to the power plants had been vandalized. Also, most of the power stations have become seriously decayed and in need of retooling and up-grading. These should not also become alibi for not meeting the deadline, because we know that if the authorities are serious about it, these facilities can be fixed before the end of the year. Besides, gas delivery alternatives can be explored; the use of tanks, for instance. Again, the power plants are designed to be dual fired, by gas or low pour fuel oil (LPFO).
The challenge is for those in charge of the projects to explore these alternatives to ensure that the nation does not miss the target already set, despite the well-known fact that 6000mw of power is grossly insufficient for an economy wishing to join the league of the first 20 leading world economies by the year 2020.
As it is, PHCN should put its house in order, in readiness for the delivery of the 6,000mw of power. In this regard, the PHCN operatives must ensure that all transmission lines and distribution facilities needed to evacuate the power upon generation are made ready. PHCN owes Nigerians the duty of ensuring that they obtain maximum benefit from the expected 6000mw.
Authorities of PHCN should know that Nigerians are aware of the quantum of funds released to them in the recent past by the President Umaru Yar'Adua administration, which is apart from the billions of dollar similarly expended on the parastatal by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration. These are substantial resources and should be justified.
Indeed, the critical players in the energy sector should be reminded that this is not the time to pass the buck as the absence of stable power has laid the nation's economy prostrate. Therefore, nothing should be done to add to the already shameful situation.
It is sad that as the country is engaged in the debate for the generation of a mere 6000mw which is not enough to power the telecommunications sector, some other countries, not listed among the first 20 leading world economies, have redundant power generation capacities to meet their electricity needs in the next decade. Even within the West African sub-region, some of our neighbours, who are not as endowed as Nigeria, are celebrating years of uninterrupted power supply. That is the irony of our situation, that today, international businesses and investors that should anchor on our shores are finding their habour elsewhere.
Nigerians have suffered for a long time due to little or no power supply and now that there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, that light must not be allowed to elude the people of Nigeria. No excuses would be sufficient to explain failure this time around. Stiff and swift sanctions must be imposed on any person or persons found hindering the actualisation of this set target. Nigerians cannot afford to wait a day longer than December 31, 2009.
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