NDPHC Board Re-jigs Management Ahead of Phase 11 Start Off

 

Story By GLADYS JOHNSON

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) board has advised the general public to disregard reports insinuating that the board was making spirited attempts to make hurried appointments ahead of May 29 for a promised seamless handover by the present administration.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by Mr Yakubu Lawal, General Manager, Communications and Public Relations of the company.
Lawal in a statement said that the board drew the attention of the public to an editorial commentary in one of the National Dailies (Leadership newspaper) of 24th April 2015 insinuating that the board of directors of NDPHC was making spirited attempts to make some hurried appointments ahead of May 29th.
He said that it is instructive for the records to be straightened so that discerning members of the public will not be swayed by the apparent falsehood and inaccuracy of such news reporting ended 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.
According to him, it is no gainsaying the fact that 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.
It will recalled that at its recent meeting in Abuja, the board approved the implementation of a new structure proposed at the company’s board meeting in August 2014.
For the records, NDPHC is a registered limited liability company owned by the three tiers of Nigerian government (Federal, State and Local) with a board (representing its shareholders) as its highest policy and decision making organ that drive the operations of the company.
Lawal said that the board reposes the highest confidence in the sterling qualities of Mr James Abiodun Olotu, the Managing-Director/CEO as head of the structure and 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.
“The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), its rules fall under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
“ The tenure of her Directors is dependent on their individual and collective performance as determined by both or either her Board or her shareholders at its Annual General Meetings,’’ the statement added.
Lawal said that the MD/CEO has therefore been given a clean slate to
move the programme forward.
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 that 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.
Lawal added that the second phase will contribute about 4,000MW into the national grid.
The board 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 are currently being assembled,’’ Lawal said . According to the statement, the Status Report presented to the board, four fully-completed power stations that has been commissioned by President Jonathan.
They were listed to include, 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.
Also, 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.
The Minister of Power Professor Chinedu Nebo 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.
He said that based on the foregoing, it has therefore become necessary
for the Management of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) to
dispel such unfounded and unwarranted report aimed at spreading
mischief and falsehood.