27 January 2012, Sweetcrude, ABUJA – The Nigerian government says it will slow down on the establishment of new power generating stations by 2014.
Prof. Barth Nnaji, Minister of Power, disclosed this as he addressed the press in Abuja after a meeting with the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC).
The minister stated that it was the expectation of the government that by 2014, all the power plants being built under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) to give the nation 4,000 megawatts (MW) would have been completed.
After this, all power plants in the country would be built by the private sector, he said.
Nnaji, who also spoke on the state of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), said that contrary to some reports, the state power monopoly has not been liquidated.
He maintained that in line with the government’s power reform agenda, the company has ceased to exist, but that it has not been liquidated as that could only be done by a court order, which currently has not been executed.
He explained that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) wrote to PHCN that it is not recognised as a market participant hence the transfer of the PHCN staff at the headquarters.
But, he revealed that it is only officers below the position of general managers that were affected,as he stated that leaving the headquarters staff made no sense as there was no provision for their salaries.This, he said, informed their being distributed among the successor companies.
Nnaji assured that the redeployment of the workers from the headquarters to the successor companies will not affect their salaries, allowances or entitlement in any way.
He said the existing thermal plants of the PHCN will be wholly privatised, the hydro will be on concession while the transmission will be owned by government but managed by the private sector.
Nnaji also said that the management has completed the biometric identification exercise and identified some illegality and ghost workers. He said those affected would not be paid their salaries and entitlements.
