06 March 2013, Lagos- The Federal Government is to empower a project monitoring team to inspect all power projects across the country.
About 491 power projects are currently on in the country, with about 40 of the projects already completed. The monitoring team will be raised by Vice President Namadi Sambo, who is worried by shoddy job being done by some of the contractors handling the power projects.
Mr. James Olotu, the Managing Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited, NDPHC, promoters of the National Independent Power projects, dropped these hints during the commissioning of three new 15 MVA sub-stations and switchgears panel in Yaba, Orile-Coker and Kirikiri sub-stations in Lagos.
He said the project monitoring team will visit all the projects sites, so that actions could be taken on the spot on any contract or contractor found to have been performing below expectation.
According to him, the Federal Government has set a target of June this year for the completion of all distribution projects, while all transmission projects and about 99 per cent of all generation projects are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Maintaing that the government was not compromising quality for speed, he said while emphasis was placed on speedy completion, the government would be ensuring that the projects are done to international standards.
“While doing this, we are aware that it is also important that the delivery should be known to be actually effective and qualitative, not delivery that is fast and then as we move back and go away after commissioning, they say something has broken down. That is fraud.
“We want the contractors to deliver quality work. But, the time for delay is over. No more delay again on this project. Every contractor has no excuse on why they should not deliver on their project,” Olotu said.
Commenting on the issue of supply of gas to the power stations, Olotu said all stakeholders in the power sector are working together to ensure that the challenges facing steady power supply, especially availability of gas, is dealt with.
