Maintenance Of Generators At Aso Villa Invitation To Tender

Maintenance Of Generators At Aso Villa
Written by Reuben Abati
Sunday, 14 June 2009

Invitation To Tender: Maintenance Of Generators At Aso Villa

By Reuben Abati

DUE to a recent act of sabotage which resulted in power outage at the Presidential Villa, Asokoro, Abuja, the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua out of concern that this national security breach should never again occur anywhere near the seat of power has directed the Tenders Board at the Presidency to issue the following invitation to tender for the supply, and maintainance of generating plants to ensure uninterrupted power supply at the Presidential Villa, and to forestall such a situation as occurred on Wednesday, June 10, when the Federal Executive Council Chambers and the entire Presidential Villa were without electricity.

Although the incident lasted for about 10 minutes and was promptly brought under control by a combined team of the nation's ever-vigilant and loyal intelligence agencies, His Excellency has directed that the cause(s) of the power outage, remote and immediate, should be carefully investigated. Initial investigations by the intelligence agencies led by the National Security Adviser, all the Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police indicate that the generating plants in the Presidential Villa may have been compromised by persons with Niger Delta, June 12, and opposition party sympathies. Mr President views this act of sabotage with all the seriousness that it deserves. To this end, a high-powered inter-Ministerial committee to be headed by the Hon. Minister of Power has been set up to submit its findings to the Presidency within two weeks. Members of the committee are permitted to seek technical support from any part of the world, including the prestigious Harvard University. Considering the seriousness of the matter still and the need to address it expeditiously, this invitation to tender is hereby issued under Presidential seal:

(1) Companies, individuals and other relevant agencies are invited to submit tender bids for the purchase, supply and maintenance of heavy duty generators with capacity to supply electricity to the Presidential Villa for 24 hours non-stop, seven days a week, and 365 days a year.

(2) The quotation for the aforesaid generators must include the cost of maintenance. Successful bidders may be awarded a provisional licence to enable them import diesel and petrol at concessionary rates for the exclusive use of generators within the Presidential Villa, and its environs, and to prevent such a strange situation as was reported that efforts "to put on standby generators were not successful" or that there is fuel scarcity at the Presidency.

(3) Please note that the Tenders Board is interested only in such generating plants that are rugged, capable of withstanding extreme pressure, and not such that may be prone to breaking down during Executive Council meetings or receptions for visiting foreign dignitaries.This government takes its job seriously and is determined to ensure that serious events such as Council meetings are not disrupted by power outages. We thank God that the power outage on Wednesday did not occur at a time when His Excellency was receiving a foreign dignitary.

(4) The Federal Government may at a future date consider the award of contracts for the supply and maintenance of generators for nationwide distribution as an interim measure to ensure the fulfilment of the President's honest promise of 6, 000 MW of electricity by December 2009.

(5) This release therefore marks the first step in the declaration of a state of emergency in the power sector.

(6) Respondents to this invitation to bid must be only persons of great patriotic commitment. Successful bidders must be willing to subject themselves and the generators that they supply to rigorous security screening. Where any whiff of sabotage or mischief is detected, the act shall be treated as an act of treasonable felony. Generators with Tokunbo, or used second-hand parts, are unacceptable.

(7) The Presidency is in the process of forwarding an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to provide legislative protection for all generating plants owned by the Government of Nigeria. These are classified as national assets, held in trust for the Nigerian people.

( The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces announced in May that his government will do anything to ensure regular and uninterrupted supply of electricity in the country. The generator initiative is one of the many templates for fulfilling this promise to Nigerians. Suppliers of generating sets must be prepared to see their engagement as part of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

(9) Bidders must also note that the Presidency hopes through this initiative to create thousands of jobs for Nigerians as part of the government's employment generation drive. Presidential generators have up till now been managed by German contractors. The President now directs that bidders for the supply and maintenance of the Presidential fleet of generators must show proof of Nigerian citizenship.

(10) Proof of capacity to provide insurance cover for the generating plants will be an added advantage.

(11) Successful bidders may also be required to be members of a special committtee, soon to be constituted which would look into the modalities for incorporating this generator initiative into government's objective of making Nigeria one of the 20 largest economies in the world by the year 2020.

(12) Special consideration may be accorded Nigerians in Diaspora with technical expertise, as part of government's determination to provide opportunities for Nigerians abroad. This should help them manage the challenges of the global credit crunch and insipre many of them to return to their fatherland. Many Nigerians abroad have been writing unpatriotic articles against their country on the internet. Government is interested in giving them opportunities to return home to be part of the great renewal that is on-going across the country.

(13) The bids may not include the notorious ten per cent and no price variations will be allowed once contracts are awarded.

(14) The bid assessment process will be confidential and fair and strictly in accordance with the rule of law. Interested parties are advised not to attempt to influence the Tenders Board. Traditional rulers, Pastors, Imams, spiritual consultants, and party chairmen are hereby strictly advised not to interfere.

(15) Six copies of the bid application should reach The Tenders Board, The Presidential Generating Sets Initiative, Presidential Villa, Asokoro, not later than two weeks from the date of this publication.

(16) Only shortlisted bidders will be contacted.

Finally, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria remains committed to his promise to ensure uninterrupted power supply across the country. Saboteurs in the power and energy sector who are thwarting this administration's attempts to serve Nigerians and meet their expectations are hereby advised that henceforth there shall be zero tolerance for their misdeeds. Our dear country Nigeria will be 50 years old as an independent nation in 2010. Now is the time to begin the preparations for the celebration of that grand occassion. A Presidential Task Force drawn from the elite corps of the Armed Forces, is being considered to provide special security for government-owned generators. The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) will soon be subjected to a process of audit, prelude to its likely disbandment. We cannot afford to fail in the delivery of critical infrastructure, the first item on the seven-point agenda.

We thank Nigerians for their understanding. Government counts on the support of the generality of the people as it wages war against the forces of darkness.

Chairman, Tenders Board in charge of Presidential Power Generating Sets

Sgd.

Is this really true

nice one, very interesting, enjoyed it.

Lagosboy:

Is this really true

ofcourse not, it is not true, just admire the write up.

was wondering if it is true too. Culled it from nigeriavillagesquare.com If Rueben Abati (Chairman Editoral board of Guardian Newspapers) wrote it actually, then folks it is true