Oscarline Onwuemenyi 08 May 2015, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Board of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, has advised the general public to disregard reports insinuating that the board was making attempts to make hurried appointments ahead of May 29 for a promised seamless handover by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the General Manager, Communications and Public Relations of the company, Mr. Yakubu Lawal.
Lawal in a statement,drew the attention of the public to an editorial commentary in one of the National Dailies of April 24, insinuating that the board of directors of NDPHC was making spirited attempts to make some hurried appointments ahead of May 29.
He said members of the public should not be swayed by the apparent falsehood and inaccuracy of the report meant to cast aspersions on the integrity, credibility and competence of the chairman and members of the board of the NDPHC over the exercise of its statutory functions.
He explained that rather, the Board of Directors of NDPHC owners of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) has positioned the company to effectively pursue its Phase II project mandate aimed at implementing more hydropower stations and transmission projects in the country to give the power sector infrastructure a more robust synergy.
He noted that the board had at its recent meeting in Abuja, approved the implementation of a new structure proposed at the company’s board meeting in August 2014, adding that the board reposes the highest confidence in the sterling qualities of the Managing-Director/CEO, Mr. James Abiodun Olotu, as head of the structure, arising from his unparalleled performance through thick and thin under the phase 1 program to lead a new team of seasoned professionals selected from the various geopolitical zones across the country to manage the challenges of the next phase of the NIPP programme and to deliver same on budget and in good time.
“Under the new structure, the company now has four executive directors responsible for Generation, Networks, Finance and Accounts as well as Corporate Services while the office of the Company Secretary and Legal Adviser is also upgraded to director’s status.
“These appointments were approved by the Board as one of its statutory powers,” he said, adding that the MD/CEO has therefore been given a clean slate to move the programme forward, explaining that the tenure of the company’s Directors is dependent on their individual and collective performance as determined by both or either its Board or its shareholders at its Annual General Meetings, which he said also falls under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Lawal also noted that as one of the main resolutions of the National Economic Council (NEC), which comprises all the stakeholders at its meeting held in April 2013, the council approved the second phase of the NIPP projects to include execution of Mambilla hydro power project and 16 identified medium and small hydro power projects.
He said this will create a mix power generation/supply system for the country by balancing the Phase 1 NIPP projects where 10 new thermal power stations located in the southern parts of the country were constructed, adding that the second phase will contribute about 4,000MW into the national grid.
The board, he said, had also approved the Phase two critical transmission projects which shall wheel power from the existing and new power stations having capacity of over 20,000 megawatts to the distribution chain across the country on completion.
These projects, he said, are currently being assembled.
According to the statement, the Status Report presented to the board, included four fully-completed power stations that had been commissioned by President Jonathan, which were Geregu II 434MW capacity in Kogi state; Omotosho II 500 MW capacity in Ondo state; 750MW capacity Olorunsogo II power plant in Ogun state, and Phase One 504MW Alaoji thermal power station in Abia state, while Benin Generation Company and Ogorode both of 450MW capacity each in Edo and Delta states respectively, are waiting official commissioning.
“Also ready for commissioning is 500MW Calabar Power station in Cross River state while the Power plants in Gbarain, Bayelsa state, Omoku power station in Rivers state and Egbema power station in Imo state are at various stages of completion.
“Other major achievements are the completion of 21.5km gas pipeline Creek town to Ikot Nyong Power plant projects.
“The completion and commissioning of 18km Ikot Nyong – Adiabo 330kV DC lines to evacuate power from Calabar power plant in Cross River state.
“The completion of 13km 132kv DC Adiabo – Calabar 132/33kV sub-station and reinforcement of this Calabar 132/33kV Substation with 1no 60MVA 132/33kV Transformer and bays to accommodate new lines from Adiabo.
“The completion of comprehensive upgrading of Jos 330/132/33kV Substation with 1no 150MVA Transformer, 1No 75MVAR Reactor and new 330 and 132kV Bays provision to accommodate new lines in and out of Jos 330kV substation.
Others are the completion of 286Kms 330kv DC Jos-Makurdi transmission line.
Completion of the new Makurdi 330/132/33kv substation.
Completion of a 222kms 330kV DC transmission line from Geregu through Lokoja to Gwagwalada, linking our NIPP power plant at Geregu to FCT.
Commissioning of a 2x150MVA 330/132/33kV transformer substation at Gwagwalada in the FCT with a further 90kms of both 330kV and 132kV lines to interface with Katampe and Apo 330/132/33kV substations in the FCT.
Completion of the 2x300MVA 330/132/33kV transformer Substation at Oke-Aro in Lagos, which is now the largest 330/132kV transformer substation in the grid.
Completion of a new 150MVA 330/132/33kV substation at Asaba in Delta State.
Comprehensive upgrade and reinforcement of New Haven 330/132/33kV Substation with several new bays to enable the station cope with new incoming 330 and 132kV lines.
Completion of Ugwuaji 330kV substation in Enugu North with a 7Kms DC 330kV line linking it to New Haven.
Imminent completion of new Lokoja 330/132/33kV Substation and Ikot Ekpene 330kV switching station that will strongly reinforce the 330kV grid system in the country.
The completion of 265 out of 296 Distribution injection substations nationwide.
Also, installation of 13,367 Distribution CSP transformers out of 22,000 across the country.
He noted that the Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, had during the press briefing after the board meeting stated that national generation level stood at 5,500MW out of which NIPP contribution is about 2,600MW.
He said that these and more are feats worthy of commendation and not for the board and management to be maligned.
According to him, these achievements are recorded first in Nigeria and indeed Africa, next to Escom of South Africa.