NEBO INAUGURATES 11-MAN COMMITTEE TO FAST TRACK GAS TO POWER PROJECT
Olorunfemi Ojo with agency reports
Federal Government has inaugurated an 11- member committee headed by Mr Beks Dagogo-Jack, to fast track the realisation of the Gas to Power project.
Dagogo-Jack, who is the Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Power, is expected to galvanise the committee into realising its mandate.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Timothy Oyedeji, Deputy Director (Press), Ministry of Power, in Abuja on Wednesday.
The statement stated that the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, stressed the need for a holistic approach to the gas challenge in the power sector.
Nebo said the committee, an inter ministerial committee of professionals, was expected to drive government’s plan of increasing gas-fired plant contribution to the grid from the current 70 per cent to 85 per cent by December, 2014.
“We are thus at the mercy of gas in order to meet this target, it is for this reason that Mr President has tasked us to find solution, otherwise we can be strangulated by gas shortage,” he said.
He decried the gas challenge to the power plants, which he said, had been made worse as a result of pipeline vandalism.
Nebo expressed regrets that the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) was conceived with no adequate provision for gas, which he described as the back bone.
“We cannot be giving gas to the world through export, while we are in dire need of gas to fire our plants.’’
On power situation, he appealed to Nigerians for understanding as the new owners of the electricity companies were working round the clock to ensure stable power supply in the country.
He also stressed the need for Nigerians to pay their bills and report those involved in illegal connection to the appropriate authority so as to ensure steady power supply to all. Nebo said a 12-point term of reference had been handed over to the committee, which included developing a policy framework that would ensure availability of gas and strategies for curbing vandalism of gas infrastructure.
He, therefore, appealed to the members of the task force to do all they could to ensure the success of their assignment.
It stated that Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, Minister of Petroleum Resources, said the ministry was working with stakeholders, including oil companies to develop the framework and gas infrastructure for the country. Alison-Madueke said the ministry had identified various critical projects, adding that the Federal Government had released funds for their realisation as this would tackle the challenges where necessary.
The statement stated that Mr Sanusi Garba, Director, Ministry of Power, would serve as Secretary of the committee.
