Victor Ahiuma-Young
15 January 2013, Sweetcrude, Lagos – The organised labour in Nigeria’s power sector has accused the Federal Government of refusing to commission the completed National Integrated Power Projects, NIPPs, thus denying Nigerians from benefitting from the projects.
Under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, labour claimed the government has refused to commission many completed NIPP projects, with the hope of transferring them to the private individuals after privatization.
General Secretary of NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajaero, also alleged in an interview that the government had similar, plan for several NIPP and Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN equipment abandoned in the ports for years without bringing them to upgrade and boost the power situation in the country.
He said, “We do not have any reason not have better power supply as at today. Why did I say that? Already, over 11 billion Dollars have been spent under the National Integrated Power Project, NIPP, and NIPP as at today ought to have put into the field almost 4000 or 5000 megawatts.
“Some of the plants are ready, but they have not commissioned them. So, the plot they are adopting is that in 2013, when the private sector takes over, they will commission all those projects and will be telling you that it is because of the private sector. But the 11 billion Dollars was taken from the Federation account to build those plants.
“The question is, why have they not commissioned those plants? So, when Nigerians see additional 4000 or so, they will say it is the magic of the new investors. But the truth is that the new investors if they take over in 2013, cannot build plants for the next three or four years. So, there is already a ploy to keep a large volume of reserve of power preparatory to bringing them on stream when the private sector takes over. The same thing applies to abandoned equipment at the ports.”
“There are lot of equipment belonging to PHCN and NIPP at the ports that are not cleared as we speak. The plan is for them to bring the equipment in after privatization for the new investors.”
