Nigeria will hit 5000 megawatts soon, El-Sudi

By Emma Ujah, Daniel Idonor & Inalegwu Shaibu

ABUJA — BARELY three days after the Federal Government uncovered the poor management of the failed N30 billion Olorunsogo power station by a Chinese firm, the Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, Wednesday ordered the immediate removal of the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Mr Mohammed Almu.

Vanguard investigation revealed that the embattled CEO is now to work in the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, Abuja head office, where he would be monitored closely.

The government is piqued that Almu, who until his recall to the headquarters in Abuja, an acting CEO, failed to articulate what was required to recover the six of the eight turbines in the station that have since broken down, thereby reducing the installed capacity of the plant from 304 to 60 megawatt of electricity.

Nnaji, who was on an inspection tour of the plant, in company of his Information counterpart, Mr Labaran Maku, had expressed disappointment over the inability of the management led by the CEO to provide the inspectors with adequate information on the company.

Besides, the inspection team was also told that every move and attempt by the Nigerian engineers attached to the Chinese experts to acquire the requisite skills for the maintenance of the plants were usually frustrated by the foreigners, just as the Nigerians at the plant could not lay hands on the agreement documents to ascertain at what point their responsibilities begin and end.

The Minister said “we got here (Olorunsogo) and we are scratching for information. I don’t like it and we will do something about that because what we want is ability to ensure that things keep on going. It requires resourcefulness to get things done.”

How can we be in a situation where the total amount of money needed here is nothing in comparison to just one problem which the people in Egbin station solved . It is a lot more than all of this put together. So, for sure, we are going to do something about it to solve these problems but on the technical side, we have to do something. That is why visiting these plants is very important”.

“I will say that in Olorunnsogo phase I, which is a federal government power plant we are quiet disappointed that there are eight units that should provide over 300 mw there and that of all those units only two are functioning. And what is required to actually get many of the units functioning is not just much and we are also going to look into the issue of the workers not being able to access manuals to operate the power plant. So these are some issues that we have found that we are going to resolve”.

The CEO had while briefing the minister said “at the time of handing over of this project, they (Chinese) are supposed to give us two years running spare parts but what they gave us were just small spare parts and that is why we are having serious problem. And anytime we contact them, they will promise to bring the parts and up till now, they have not given us any. And any time we have a problem and we want to go with them, they will refuse to go with us and abandon the place.

Beaf:

Now we will get a CEO that wouldn't tell us the plant packed up because the manuals are in Chinese. Its hard to beat a dafter cover up for incompetence.

blink182:

Lol, if Mr. Bath continues like this he is sure to rid PHCN of useless staff.

[size=14pt]Barth Nnaji sacks four CEOs of PHCN[/size]
By BUSINESSNEWS · August 2, 2011 Goverment · Tagged: Barth Nnaji, PHCN

Minister of Power, Barth Nnaji on Monday sacked four Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Power Holding Companies of Nigeria (PHCN), a move that swiftly set jitters down the spine of the top management staff of the company.
. . .

blink182:

the Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, Wednesday ordered the immediate removal of the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Mr Mohammed Almu.

Vanguard investigation revealed that the embattled CEO is now to work in the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, Abuja head office, where he would be monitored closely.

naijacann:

The three top Igbo members of the cabinet are just great!!! with Anyim Pius Anyim co-ordinating the entire ministries

- Prof. Barth Nnaji (Power)
- Ngozi Okonji Iweala(Finance)
- Emeka Wogu (Labour)

Every other persons in that cabinet are just there for numbers sake. They just don't have a clue what they're to do

Where are the major policy pronouncements from Ministers from major Ministries like Education, Works, Health, Agriculture?
The Architect in charge of works ministry just dey talk talk.

naijacann:

@Tadebo
The only minister who seems to be working, in addition to the three I earlier mentioned is Alison Madueke, who's also an igbo woman both by birth and by marriage. Where are the other ministers? Where are their pronouncements? Give me a break on this ethnic neutrality nonesense. I refuse to be deceived again. When performance/rescue becomes the watchword, igbos emerges.

naijacann:

@Tadebo
I'm just making my observations clear
I've stopped being delusional with this neutrality nonesence. I will never be deceived again.
In the past admin, it was Akunyili cleaning up NAFDAC. Here we go again with top Igbos doing well in their various ministries.
What is the Minister of Education doing? Where is the FCT Minister? Where's the Agric Boss? They're no where to be found.
The only minister who seems to be working, in addition to the three I earlier mentioned is Alison Madueke, who's also an igbo woman both by birth and by marriage. Where are the other ministers? Where are their pronouncements? Give me a break on this ethnic neutrality nonesense. I refuse to be deceived again. When performance/rescue becomes the watchword, igbos emerges.

naijacann:

The three top Igbo members of the cabinet are just great!!! with Anyim Pius Anyim co-ordinating the entire ministries

- Prof. Barth Nnaji (Power)
- Ngozi Okonji Iweala(Finance)
- Emeka Wogu (Labour)

Every other persons in that cabinet are just there for numbers sake. They just don't have a clue what they're to do

Where are the major policy pronouncements from Ministers from major Ministries like Education, Works, Health, Agriculture?
The Architect in charge of works ministry just dey talk talk.

Ricky_Ross:

Alex Ndukwe has done wonderfully well in the telecoms sector. Today the poorest Nigerian citizen can afford cell phones courtesy of an Igboman. If you put an incompetent fool there he will just mess up bc he is clueless.