Nationwide Blackout! June 19

  Yar’Adua may declare power emergency on June 19 – Usman
By Obinna Ezeobi and Atser Godwin, Abuja
Published: Wednesday, 11 Jun 2008

The much anticipated state of emergency in the power sector may be declared by President Umaru Yar’ Adua on June 19, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Shamsudden Usman said on Tuesday.
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President Umaru Yar’Adua

The declaration of the state of emergency in the power sector in the first 100 days in office was a key point in Yar’ Adua’s campaign. His failure to keep to the pledge has drawn criticism from Nigerians, especially as the state of the sector deteriorated further in his first one year in office.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the workshop on “Energy poverty in Africa”, organised by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for International Development, Usman said the declaration of emergency would come after the meeting of the National Economic Council scheduled to hold on June 19.

According to him, the meeting, which is normally chaired by the Vice-President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, will be presided over by Yar’ Adua because two key issues would be considered.

He said, “The Minister of Power, Mrs. Fatima Ibrahim, will make a comprehensive submission for the framework for the power sector emergency, after which I will follow up on how we will source the funding.”

He explained that it was after the meeting that Yar’Adua would come out with the details of the emergency.

Usman stressed that a lot of work had been going on to address the power crisis in a comprehensive way, without undue emphasis on thermal power plants alone.

“The nation cannot rely only on one source of power, because no matter the amount of gas you have, you need to diversify the source of energy,” he said.

The minister blamed the electricity crisis facing the nation on lack of planning, capacity and comprehensiveness in reforms, adding that the current administration was tackling the challenge and very soon, Nigerians would begin to see the result of the detailed planning and comprehensive solution to the power crisis.

He admonished Nigerians to exercise more patience, regretting that the administration was being pressurised to rush into the power sector reforms.

He said, “You have seen the effect of rushing in the past. We rushed and pumped money. If money were the solution to the problem, Nigeria would have solved the problem already.”

Usman indicated that the supplementary appropriation was directed principally at power and transportation sectors, noting that officials of the ministry were looking at various sources of funds, which would be committed to the power sector.

On why the Federal Government did not remove waivers on facilities used for generation of power from solar sources, Usman said the Federal Executive Council would soon receive the report of the Presidential Committee on Waivers and Tariff Exemptions.

He expressed the hope that the committee, which was set up last year, would make fundamental recommendations on how waivers should be administered for a viable economy.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200806111304745


All should be prepared!

Na today?

has the nation not been in blackout all this while?!

Since when did NEPA taking light become news? LOL

I can imagine people beginning to sell merchandise like shirts which say "i survived nationwide blackout day" or mugs and caps to serve as a "footnote" to the occasion.

but isn't national balkout everyday? 

NEPA tries sha

LOLLLLLL!!!!! Nigerians are too funny. We have the best sense of humor. If na yankee people for don start to dey protest. But Nigeria's response is "SO". It shows how poorly the sector is performing. Ideally we require production of 120,000MW but are only producing 3,500MW. Chai! that is barely enough for Zamfara State.