21 October 2013, Abuja – President Goodluck Jonathan has urged workers of recently privatised Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, to shelve their plan to go on strike on the grounds of non-payment of their entitlements. According to him, efforts were on to pay the entitlements.
Jonathan also assured Nigerians that electricity supply will reasonably stabilise before the middle of next year.
He spoke while commissioning the National Integrated Power Project NIPP 500MW Omotosho Phase II power station in Okitipupa council area of Ondo State.
The commissioning of the Omotosho NIPP is coming 16 days after that of Geregu power station.
Jonathan said Nigerians should appreciate the efforts of his administration in transforming the power sector.
” I am not saying that electricity supply will be total but I want to assure that light will be reasonably stabilised before the middle of next year,” the President said.
According to him, by the time his administration is through with transformation in the power sector, the results will be likened to the reforms in the banking and telecommunication sectors.
The President pointed out that all the ten NIPP which will add 4700MW to the national grid, will be completed by the end of first quarter of next year and be privatised.
He commended Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, traditional rulers, and youths in the community for their supportive role in the realisation of the project.
Earlier, Mimiko said the project will only have meaningful impact when transmission projects are completed.
According to Mimiko, the state will soon complete and invite the President to come and commission a 30MW power station in Omotosho which was initiated by his administration.
He commended the untiring efforts of Jonathan in transforming infrastructure in the country, noting that posterity will judge him positively.
Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, lauded the political will of the President in effecting change not only in the power sector but also in all the sectors.
– Vanguard