In furtherance of his administration’s effort aimed at improving power generation across the country, President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday commissioned the 500mw Omotosho II Power Station in Ondo state.
The plant built under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) is the second to be commissioned by the President after the Geregu Power Plant in Kogi State.
While reiterating the commitment of his administration to ensuring logical conclusion of the privatization of the power sector, President Jonathan reassured the disengaging workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) that their severance packages would be settled.
He said, “We like to reassure all PHCN workers, our dear labour leaders that have not received their full severance packages that government is working hard to make sure that all of you get what is due to you. There is no need for industrial action,” he said.
President Jonathan also reassured that Nigerians would witness significant improvement in power supply across the federation by next year when the private investors would have taken over fully.
He recalled that the Nigerian Bulk Trader has been funded with about $750million to enable it carry out its mandate, adding that the Nigerian Electricity Liability Company, would also be adequately funded so as to be able to assume liabilities associated with the privatization of the PHCN successor companies as well as other liabilities and other related issues.
“We promise that before the middle of next year, light will be reasonably, I am not saying total, light will be reasonably stabilized in the country,” he said.
On government’s effort to improve power supply, he said 4700mw would be added to the existing power generating capacity with the commissioning of all the 10 power plants being built by the NIPP.
The President Jonathan recognized the contribution of the late former Governor of Ondo, Olusegun Agagu, to power development in the country when he was Minister of Power, calling for a minute silence in his honour.
Ondo state Governor Olusegun Mimiko, was delighted that the federal government cited the power project in his state, commending President Jonathan for “for turning around infrastructure in the country.”
Also speaking, Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, had this to say, “Most people thought privatization was impossible when you started but you have successfully handed over the infrastructure to successor companies.
“You provided the enabling environment to almost complete the payment to disengaged workers. Everything they said was impossible to do, we have achieved under your leadership”.
