dedeike: @ switney, Much as I would like to join issues with you on your last post but I must quickly commend you for offering the first intellectual opposition to Bart Nnaji's activities. Since this debate started, all we have been seing from those dissatisfied with our views are shallow arguments and vituperations devoid of substance. You even posted a useful link in support of your argument that govt appears insincere about the megawatts generated. I appreciate that. We must endeavour to be factual and constructive in criticising or praising the activities of those entrusted with the mandate to govern us. That way I believe we will make progress. However, I will make bold to respond to all the issues you raised one by one. It is never in doubt that Obj generateed 4000 megawatts. Yes he did. But just like you rightly observed, this 4000 megawatts could not be felt due to age long problems of adequacy of gas, transmission and distribution problems. In 2005' obj signed into law the power reforms act which was to offer the foundation for the first target you mentioned viz; ," expeditiously implement the electric power sector reform programme" . If you read Barth's interview thoroughly, you would appreciate that he credited his reform programme to the power reforms Act 2005 by Obj. That legislation offers the foundation upon which the present reform programmes are erected. So there's no falsehood to it. Secondly, the next target was to generate 10,000 megawatts by 2007 "by existing plants, new host generations and reasonably priced independent power plants" . This is where the NIPP initiative came in. Obj sought to set up over 9 independent power plants I.e Geregu, Allaoji, Afam, Papalanto etc due to its capital intensive nature, obj could not finish before he left office in 2007. Surprisingly, Yarafua came in and abandoned the NIPP projects.The Elumelu probe panel came up and rubbished the projects with allegations of corruption in the management of NIPP. So NIPP was put on hold without any alternative plans on generation. The end result was that our generation capacity dtropped again. We now started having barely 1500 megawatts. When Gej came in, he saw the need to implement the power reforms act hence the revival of the NIPP projects. He launched a power reforms roadmap anchored on the NiPP and the full privatization of PHCN. In less than one year, GEJ's govt has been able to complete the Mambilla and Zungeru power stations bringing back the megawatts to over 4000. In a bid to address the problems associated with transmission, govt has also begun the repair of transmission lines covering over 6000 km and you know this is not a cup of tea. For distribution, they decided to privatize the 11 distribution companies and have signed bulk trader purchase agreement with them with world bank guarantees. Thirdly, the next target you highlighted is "explore alternative energy sources ...." this the govt has achieved by building those power stations which are thermal. They seek to take advantage of our huge gas reserves but unfortunately, this has created another major challenge. Most of the IOC's are skeptical to invest heavily in gas in a market where there's no much demand for commercial gas. That notwithstanding, the NGC which is the gas arm of NNPC is seriously constrained by billions owed it by PHCN. On the other hand, PHCN attributes its inability to discharge its indebtedness to low revenue generation, poor metering, and low tariffs. This brings me to the fourth target as highlighted in your post. Fourthy, the next target reads viz" renew attention to the question of electricity tariffs" it is pursuant to the realization of this objective that govt recently reviewed eelectricity tariffs on June 1. The need to have a cost reflective tariff is long overdue and will play a key role in actualising the 5th target which is " Deregulate the power sector to allow increased private sector participation." Fifthly,, the increased tariffs and eventual privatization of PHCN will now facilitate the much needed private sector investments in our power sector. Thankfully, General Electric co and others have already come in to participate. Gej is really working.

hercules07: Working ko Working ni, you guys should stop fooling yourselves, the power sector is as comatose as ever.

hillsate: Who are these govt agents on nairaland?
Nigeria had about 2300MW in 1999, and today it has peaked at about 3200MW.
PDP govt has only added 1000MW in all the 13yrs of her rule, what makes you think PDP, GEJ or is it Barth, is serious and committed to any power reform?
A govt that is only thinking about generation without mapping out a well laid strategy for gas production and distribution is only joking. Are they going to be transporting the gas (that is not even available) via trucks to the NIPP's or have they started laying down pipes for gas distribution?
Power sector reform my foot!
Guys, the so called improvement you see today in generation is simply an overworking the systems currently available to deceive nigerians. The systems will soon pack up and we'll be back to square one.

Captainajama: Swintine,be constructive and unbiased in ur criticisms. Don't just talk because you wan2. What GEJ is doing in that sector within this one year in office is what past leaders failed to do. Facts please!

subterfuge: With over 90% of Nigeria in Blackout, what bullshit reforms is on track. All you sycophants and praise singers, be warned. Power may be sweet as honey, but can also be bitter as vinegar!!! Remember Patrice lumumba, Samuel Doe? Moamar Ghadafi, Hosni mubarak? All th
ese people were better and brighter than this dullard jonathan... To be fore warned, is to be fore armed.

swintiney: @captainajama, u should hav said what i said that isn't true either, how many times did obj boast of achieving 4MW? So shocked that wen GEJ/JEG came he still claimed of reaching 4MW, or ar we in 2nd 4MW? Or have we not noticed dat GEJ uses constant power supply 2 decieve us while lunching killing measures? I'v gone a step ahead of the facts u askd 4 to give u the truth. GEJ is showing signs of failure, if he does, then u & i would agree we ended up losing about 20yrs of our development to virtually OBJ & GEJ.

Mind u, GEJ has startd making up excuses 4 anticipated failure by saying dat the country was already this bad b4 he became presido, did he not know this before becoming presido?

swintiney:


What i am yet to ascertain is the reason behind their media works. Sincerely if i am this Govt., i would rather
concentrate on providing solution to the problem silently, this is an issue successive administrations have failed
over and over, therefore, it is a very sensitive issue.

I had expected Prof. Nnaji and his team to concentrate and get us out of this mess, then give us success story.
Nigerians are actually tired of every kind of promise and jingle both in the media and wherever, we understand that
all our developmental indicators are pointing towards power sector infrastructure. Let our leadership not jeopardise
this in the name of politics, i still prefer they keep silent and deliver rather than going to display their media
strenght that has not direct value added to the issue at hand and thereafter failing.
Developmental indices have shown a dangerous dip even when compared from their already sorry past.
Though it's very visible that they are not concentrating on their anticipated success, i still wish to say

"May they succeed!

mai gaskiya: u idiots re just hatng 4 notng i wok i an oil nd gas company md belev me d minister is rite.d gas is ntng flowng 2d stations.as am tokng 2u nija hs completd 2500 capacity stations makng a total of 5400 bt gas hs ben d isue.so u pepl castng gudluk re only blinded by hate.obj spent 8ys nd squandrd 16biln dols nd yet dnt gve up 2 3000mw.yardua spent 3ys nd promisd 6000mw nd yet stories.bt ds man in les dan 2ys gav us 5400mw wic is d highest in nija history nd yet nn pat in d bk.oky o hate on

billyG: since inception all d PDP GOVT.they do is talk!talk!!talk!!!SPAM SPAM SPAM we want to see enough electricity after so many million dollars where spent in the sector let barth show nigerian which power station has been completed & working.

nakedall: power is not banking that one can lie, the fact is still remain the fact - NO LIGHT. lets wait for the next 100 years if things will happen. 52 years we have only 4000MW, in 100 years lets hope to have 8000MW.

we phuck in darkness, born in darkness, grow in darkness and die in darkness - not new thing to us!

drnoel: read that interview some days back and its clear they still have a lot of problems. My main worry though is the continous use of gas to power electricity. I think there should be a radical change in that direction. U guys should remeber that it is now estimated that the world oil would last 4 just the next 50 years and then it would run out. Guys tell me, once the oil Nigeria relies heavily on runs out, what would be the countries next source of income at the end of the petrochemical age (this is something our leaders are not thinking about). Other countries are now investing heavily on green power, even Europe and America is talking of raising solar enegry in the sahara desert to supply them with electricity when the petrochemical age ends. Heard their estimated budget is a very whooping sum but they seem to be committed to seeing it thru, but Nigeria is still talking of Gas turbines.

Jakumo: Much has been said about the DRAMATIC improvement in the supply of grid electrical power to Nigeria over the past few months, but a new thread is still in order, since Jonathan Goodluck has slayed a monster that NO OTHER Nigerian head of state DARED tackle at any time over the past 30 years.

It began virtually the instant President Goodluck took over from the long dead and entirely worthless Ex-President Yar Adua, with lights and electrical appliances flickering to life all over Nigeria for the first time in the living memory of any person less than 30 years old, and now, there flows near 24-hour stable electrical power over vast, long forgotten swathes of a land formerly condemned to permanent darkness.

Evidently, President Goodluck single handedly confronted, defeated and uprooted that profoundly evil gang of criminals who held on to key jobs in the national electrical utility company, exploiting their access to the key equipment for the devious purpose of profiteering from Nigeria's electrical blackout by making sure all electrical outlets remained permanently dead.  With President Goodluck now DIRECTLY running Nigeria's electrical power sector, all the worn-out excuses for the perennial blackout have miraculously vanished overnight.  This accomplishent is almost beyond comprehension, and is without equal in Nigeria's entire history.

If there is a minor regret most Nigerians may quietly harbor in the wake of this astonishing development, it would probably be that those squalid, greedy saboteurs of the country's power supply capability cannot simply be lined up against a wall and shot to pieces in a hail of machinegun fire before an exultant crowd.

All in all, Jonathan Goodluck ALREADY qualifies as Nigeria's MIRACLE MAN, for he has accomplished the seemingly impossible in virtually no time at all.     Bravo Johnny !  You is da MAN !  Take my wife, please !   I would be greatly honored.