[size=15pt]Obasanjo ‘Released Only $3.08bn for Power Project’[/size]
From Ike Abonyi in Abuja, 03.12.2009

As the House of Representatives continues to dilly-dally over its power probe report,  fresh facts emerged in Abuja on Tuesday that contrary to claim that about $13 billion was squandered by the Obasanjo administration on the power sector, only about $3.08 billion was actually expended.

This indication was from a summary presentation on the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) presented to the National Economic Council (NEC) by the Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State.

Suswam, on behalf  of the Presidential Review Panel on the NIPP set up by the NEC, said the panel found that as at 2007, total project allocations/ estimates to NIPP was $10.231 billion inclusive of the $2 billion Federal Government counterpart funding for Mambilla Hydro Power project and $1.4 billion for additional nine turbines.

According to Suswam, out of these commitments, only $3.08 billion was funded and scrutinised with advance payment guarantees from “first class” Nigerian banks and Letters of Credits issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). [/b]He said over[b] $1.5 billion of the sum is still in the custody of the banks.

The report also said there is an ongoing comprehensive review exercise taking place to determine the most up-to-date estimates of costs to complete the project. This is in view of the cost over runs arising from over 18 months of delay and stall in funding. Suswam, in his report, also identified intermittency and stoppage of funds as among the factors that helped to frustrate the implementation.

Lack of thorough feasibility studies was also fingered as being responsible for the several challenges of the project in the area of transportation, water supply and transmission connections to the sites.
There was also what the report called “slow pace of surveys, enumeration work and payment to land owners has impacted on site development. The project also lacked clear and defined ownership structure/agreed responsibilities and it has resulted in a dis-jointed and uncoordinated project implementation”.

The report said after due deliberations, the committee  agreed that completing the project as initiated is the right way to go as it would be the only sure way to improve Nigeria’s power supply logjam and free its citizenry and businesses from the shackles of darkness.

Yar’Adua had last year ignited the debate when he disclosed that over $10 billion was spent on power by the previous administration with nothing to show for it.
The Speaker of the House Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, followed suit by saying the sum was over $16 billion, while the House power probe committee Chairman, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, gave a figure of $13 billion.
Almost one year after the motion for the probe was moved by the House Minority Leader, Hon Ali Ndume, the report is yet to be debated many months after it was submitted by the committee.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=137931

Like I have said many times on this forum, Obj's heart was in the right place concerning power. Sadly, he didn't plan or manage this project effectively, which led to the problems associated.

Instead of waiting for the review of actual figures to emerge, our 'leaders' engaged in wild speculations. Informed observers have doubted astonishing figures emanating from the 'honourable' reps, the true state of things is emerging now.

We need competent project managers to take over the NIPP and bring it to completion. Yar'adua should act now.

YaraDOA? has he even gotten round to declaring the emergency?

i don tire for PHCN. for the past three weeks it has been uninterrupted darkness . only this week have we seen some token 2 hours of light, prolly so the bastards can bring the bill  

I hope DOA doesn't mean dead on arrival

Instead of getting down to the brass tacks of this problem, he was pontificating about rule of law and saying 'nothing to show for it'. Solve the problems on ground and let people feel the impact.

All ready posted this article earlier today

Apologies Kunle. Moderator should lock/link the two threads as he deems fit.

I am still waiting for where OBJ stole money. We keep destroying our good people. it is as if it is a sin to be a Good person in nigeria.

If God can strengthen the hands of the few good people we have then can we emerge.

@post
I have said it before that you can demonize anybody in this country once you have the power to do so. This country is full of hypocrites who will do anything to be on the side of the man that wields power at any point in time. Even those who knows the truth won't talk just to avoid the wrath of the power that be or can somebody tell me why all the agencies involved in the release of this money did not know how much they released for the power project? It is pathetic for this nation. I said it before that even the present Govt that condemned OBJ NIPP project has not come up with any better plan for the power sector. A sector that suffered neglect for over 20years, the only person that dare attempt any radical reform to improve our fluctuating 1000 to 4000mw capacity is OBJ, though there is a consensus that the project was not well monitored but then OBJ attempted what others have shied away from for many years. I wonder how all the morons that said all manners of nonsense on this forum concerning NIPP are feeling now.

I have said it before that you can demonize anybody in this country once you have the power to do so. This country is full of hypocrites who will do anything to be on the side of the man that wields power at any point in time. Even those who knows the truth won't talk just to avoid the wrath of the power that be or can somebody tell me why all the agencies involved in the release of this money did not know how much they released for the power project? It is pathetic for this nation. I said it before that even the present Govt that condemned OBJ NIPP project has not come up with any better plan for the power sector. A sector that suffered neglect for over 20years, the only person that dare attempt any radical reform to improve our fluctuating 1000 to 4000mw capacity is OBJ, though there is a consensus that the project was not well monitored but then OBJ attempted what others have shied away from for many years. I wonder how all the morons that said all manners of nonsense on this forum concerning NIPP are feeling now.

how stupid can people be. obj attempted to fix power maybe with his personal funds abi.
which other country of the world does not enjoy electricity.
we have the resources and non of you is worried over why non of our presidents is ready to fix the electricity problem.

have any of you taking his\her time to convert $3.8 billion into naira.

Like I have said many times on this forum, Obj's heart was in the right place concerning power. Sadly, he didn't plan or manage this project effectively, which led to the problems associated.

Instead of waiting for the review of actual figures to emerge, our 'leaders' engaged in wild speculations. Informed observers have doubted astonishing figures emanating from the 'honourable' reps, the true state of things is emerging now.

We need competent project managers to take over the NIPP and bring it to completion. Yar'adua should act now.

@poster,
obj's heart according to you was in the right place concerning power, sadly he didn't plan or manage this project effectively. i want to believe you on one condition which is if you will agree with me that the same situation is applicable with security, roads, health sector and other basic infrastructures that nigeria and nigerians lack even with the oil boom.
since you now have the real figure released by obj for power supply, how much were released for security, roads, police, education, health etc and to whom were all these funds released to.

chidichris:

how stupid can people be. obj attempted to fix power maybe with his personal funds abi.
which other country of the world does not enjoy electricity.
we have the resources and non of you is worried over why non of our presidents is ready to fix the electricity problem.

have any of you taking his\her time to convert $3.8 billion into naira.


@poster,
obj's heart according to you was in the right place concerning power, sadly he didn't plan or manage this project effectively. i want to believe you on one condition which is if you will agree with me that the same situation is applicable with security, roads, health sector and other basic infrastructures that nigeria and nigerians lack even with the oil boom.
since you now have the real figure released by obj for power supply, how much were released for security, roads, police, education, health etc and to whom were all these funds released to.

lol. . .u know i can come up with numerous direct quotes from yourself referring to Obj spending 16 billion dollars on power

u just don't like the chap period. I can understand why. But I think you should give him more credit than being a common thief the way Abacha wa.

SegzyJoe:

@post


I said it before that even the present Govt that condemned OBJ NIPP project has not come up with any better plan for the power sector.


A sector that suffered neglect for over 20years, the only person that dare attempt any radical reform to improve our fluctuating 1000 to 4000mw capacity is OBJ,

though there is a consensus that the project was not well monitored

but then OBJ attempted what others have shied away from for many years.

I wonder how all the morons that said all manners of nonsense on this forum concerning NIPP are feeling now.

God bless you jare SegzyJoe.

Like you said, up to date, they have no new ideas on how to fix the problem.

Yar'adua's govt has moved to fund the NIPP projects (finally) - the same one it has been condemning.

They inflated $3.08 billion to $16 Billion just to make OBJ look bad.

Useless Yar'aDOA

God bless you jare SegzyJoe.

Like you said, up to date, they have no new ideas on how to fix the problem.

Yar'adua's govt has moved to fund the NIPP projects (finally) - the same one it has been condemning.

They inflated $3.08 billion to $16 Billion just to make OBJ look bad.

Useless Yar'aDOA

@Maxell,
now that you are calling yar adua useless, please give a name also to the one who forced yar adua on us.
if i am not biased, pdp did not choose yar adua and nigerians did not choose him rather one man did so pls give a name to that one man who believed he is the god of nigeria to force somebody on us.

10 billion and the idiot aint evn on th forbes list

idupaul:

10 billion and the idiot aint evn on th forbes list

Lol. . .Your comment my friend shows you are an electronic idiot

read the article before commenting you hear

chidichris:



@Maxell,
now that you are calling yar adua useless, please give a name also to the one who forced yar adua on us.
if i am not biased, pdp did not choose yar adua and nigerians did not choose him rather one man did so pls give a name to that one man who believed he is the god of nigeria to force somebody on us.

Mr Chidichris

You are right; OBJ f'ked up imposing yar'aDOA on us. There is no doubt about that.

But OBJ has left power for almost 2 years now, should he continue to bear all the blame ?

Rather than moving the country forward by completing the NIPP projects, yar'aDOA focused on propaganda
he went on saying $10 billion was spent on power, when in fact it was just $3.08 billion

he just held up all the projects for no apparent reason. There are GE power turbines for the plants at lagos port;
they cannot be moved because yar'aDOA wouldn't fund it.

The contractors have abandoned many of the power sites because yar'aDOA wouldn't pay them.

Does he have the country's interest at heart ?

I hope you get my point.

Mr Chidichris

You are right; OBJ f'ked up imposing yar'aDOA on us. There is no doubt about that.

But OBJ has left power for almost 2 years now, should he continue to bear all the blame ?

Rather than moving the country forward by completing the NIPP projects, yar'aDOA focused on propaganda
he went on saying $10 billion was spent on power, when in fact it was just $3.08 billion

he just held up all the projects for no apparent reason. There are GE power turbines for the plants at lagos port;
they cannot be moved because yar'aDOA wouldn't fund it.

The contractors have abandoned many of the power sites because yar'aDOA wouldn't pay them.

Does he have the country's interest at heart ?

I hope you get my point.

@maxell,
thanks for accepting that point.
another point here is that obj left power 2 yrs ago and i said no to that. do u know about the chris uba\chris ngige saga in which chris uba was acting as the godfather to chris ngige the then anambra state gov.

obj is still arround and does not want to leave. he is the godfather of yar adua and that accounts for why yar adua has refused to bring him to books.

did u see the situation with bush. a peaceful, free and fair election, a healthy hand over. how do u compare it to obj who made himself the only qualified living being to be the chairman board of trustees - pdp.

the man obj is power thirsty and has decided to remain in power till death do him part.

he gave our illegal contracts to his close pals and they messed up the country and look at the yar adua govt, the same old fools are always coming arround.

you and i know too well the relationship bewteen obj and tony annenih and we see a kind of u turn here when yar adua decides to make tony annenih the new npa chairman.

who is decieving who. i am here to tell you that what we have in yar adua is a modernised third term.