13 April 2009

The current power supply situation in the country is taking a heavy toll on President Umaru Yar'Adua who has confessed that he "can hardly sleep again," on account of the situation. He has consequently given Power Minister, Mr. Lanre Babalola, a blank cheque to deal with the problem fast and to the satisfaction of the generality of Nigerians.

Stable power supply is part of the 7-point agenda of the president and after about two years in office with little or no improvement from what he inherited, the president has come under serious attacks from Nigerians who, daily, bemoan the epileptic electricity supply they face at home and at work.

Thousands of paid employees have been thrown out of work following low production occasioned by the power problem while artisans find it difficult to work for the same reasons.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that at a recent meeting at Aso Rock Presidential Villa, with Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Power, Mr. Lanre Babalola as well as top officials of the Ministries of Petroleum, Power and NNPC, the president pointedly told the Power Minister:

"Whatever you need to succeed, I will give you. If anyone stands in your way and you want him or her out, just tell me and I will clear such a person for you. But I want results. I can hardly sleep again because of the power situation. I made a pledge to Nigerians that by the end of this year, they will enjoy stable electricity and it is a pledge I intend to keep. My name and credibility are at stake on this issue."

At that point, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan chipped in that the credibility of everybody in the administration was at stake, including that of the minister himself.

Jonathan wanted it to be a collective success. But to this, President Yar'Adua was said to have interjected. "No, it is my credibility that is at stake. How many ministers of power have we had and who remembers them? If things fail tomorrow, Lanre (the minister) is a young man, he will simply dust his CV again and begin to look for another job but Nigerians will remember the promise I made."

At that meeting, the president demanded a daily update from the Ministry and directed that the minister could see him anytime he wanted.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the power Minister now has unfettered access to President Yar'Adua. In fact, the minister is said to be briefing President Yar'Adua daily on every of his efforts. After the meeting, Babalola waited to see the president. And that explains why the next day, the PHCN Board was dissolved.

Babalola also got approval to suspend the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Board. Despite the teething challenges, Sunday Vanguard was informed that the minister has assured the president, there will be stable electricity by December.

Sunday Vanguard was told by Ministry of Power officials that "what the minister is working on now is to rehabilitate and strengthen the Transmission Grid and the Distribution Network while expanding the Distribution Network to be able to wheel at least 6,000MW by December. The power problem sparked the recent probe of the power sector during the Obasanjo regime by the House of Representatives.

Although the president promised to declare a state of emergency in the power sector, this is yet to materialize.

Sunday Vanguard was also tolf that the 6000 megawatts' projection would be met in the following ways. First, the capacity as of today is 5000 but only 3000 is being transmitted. Then there is the issue of gas supply which has hampered operations.

The ministry plans to rehabilitate transmission lines with a view to maximising the supply of the remaining 2000 megawatts, as well as another capacity for the generation and transmission of another 500 megawatts. Shell, it was learnt, would be feeding another 300 megawatts in while two Independent Power Projects, IPPs being constructed would bring in 100 megawatts each.