The Federal Government has inaugurated an eleven member committee drawn from key stakeholders in Power, Presidency and Petroleum Resources in a bid to ensure accelerated and improved power generation.
The Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo recalled the unalloyed political will demonstrated by Mr. President to drive the fast cruising Power Sector Reform to a logical end.
Nebo recalled Mr. President’s directive on this inter-ministerial committee of professionals, which will fast track the ambitious plan by Government to increase Gas-fired plant contribution to the grid from the current 70% to 85% by December, 2014. “We are thus at the mercy of gas in order to meet this target, it is for this reason that Mr. President has tasked us to find solution, otherwise we could be strangulated by gas shortage.”
He therefore, appealed to the members of the task force, to do all they can, so as to ensure success of their assignment.
The Minister said that there is an obvious gap in gas supply. This has been made worse with the presence of pipeline-vandalism. He recalled that NIPP’s were conceived with no adequate provision for the gas, which is described as the back bone, “We cannot be giving gas to the world through export, while we are in dire need of gas to fire our plants.”
He therefore, appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience, especially with the new owners. “In the short run, we must expect disruptions”, but assured that “Reports making the rounds now is that there is remarkable improvement nationwide.”
The Minister also used the occasion to denounce the activities of those he described as energy thieves, he enjoined everyone that expects stable power supply to pay their bills, just as he recognized the importance of liquidity as an essential ingredient in the running of the system.
A twelve-point term of reference was handed down to the Committee, which include the development policy framework that would ensure availability of gas and strategies for curbing vandalism of gas infrastructure.
The Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison Madueke said, her Ministry is working hard to develop stringent framework for meeting the immediate and long term development plans with other key players like Shell and other private sector organization involved in the development of gas infrastructure.
She said that with the enormous work done, “We will see a positive result of what we are doing.” She added that her Ministry has identified various critical projects which Government has also released fund for their realization. This, she said would resolve challenges where necessary.
When he was speaking on behalf of the Committee, Beks Dagogo-Jack of Presidential Task Force on Power (PTFP), said that the inauguration of his Committee is another demonstration of Government’s political will to change the fortune of the power sector.
Members of the Committee on Gas to Power are as follows –
1. Engr. Beks Dagogo-Jack, Chairman Presidential Task Force on Power – Chairman
2. Dr. David Ige, GED Gas – co-Chairman
3. Dr. Joseph Dawna, GED (E and P) – Member
4. Dr. Sam Amadi, Chairman, NERC – Member
5. Mr. Iyowuna Victor Briggs, MD, NNPC – Member
6. Engr. Shahid Mohammed, ED (SO/TCN) – Member
7. Mr. Saidu Mohammed, MD, NGC – Member
8. Engr. Jonathan Kwame Okeh, Group General Manager, NAPIMS – Member
9. Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi, MD, NBET – Member
10. Mr. Frank Edozie, SA, HMP (Gas) – Member
11. Engr. Sanusi Garba, Director Power – Secretary
*Report from Federal Ministry of Power.
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