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Yar'Adua Warned Against Abandoning NIPPs

Thursday, 15 May 2008

The Action Congress (AC) has warned the Yar’Adua administration against abandoning the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs), saying the country risks a total collapse of its power system unless something is done urgently to complete the NIPPs.
"We support the ongoing probe of the expenditure on these projects, but we must not because of that abandon the projects into which the country has sunk billions of dollars. It will amount to throwing away the baby with the bath water," the party said in a statement issued in Abuja Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

"The House of Representatives panel can go on with its probe, which is desirable. Whatever they find will definite help Nigeria in handling future projects. But in the mean time, the government must find whatever legal means to fund the NIPPs to free Nigerians from the clutches of debilitating power outage.

"The more we delay, the more the NIPPs will cost. For example, the warranties on the turbines which have already been delivered will soon expire and they will become scrap metals unless they are utilised fast. It does not matter where in Nigeria the NIPPs are located, they will still provide power to the national grid," the party said.

It also warned that government that its so-called vision 20-2020 can only be blinded by lack of power.

The party recalled the case of metro line for Lagos, which was cancelled ostensibly because it was overvalued, saying "Today Nigerians are the worst for the government’s ill-advised decision to kill the metro line project."

The AC said it was unfortunate that in the past 12 months, no kobo has been spent on the integrated power projects, and wondered why the government did not make provision for them in the 2008 budget, if only to bring some level of succour to the long-suffering people of the country.

"Today, power generation has fallen below 1,000mw, which may not even be enough to power Lagos. Homes, offices and industries now go for weeks without electricity. This is detrimental to the economy, health, security and the general well-being of the citizens," the party said.

AC said while it was not interested in the merits or demerits of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s presentation to the panel, one thing is clear: The part of his paper that said ``if the total expenditure (on NIPPs) has not translated to power availability at our homes and for our industries, it is because the little additional expenditure that is necessary for completion or for sustenance has not been made’’ may not be too far from the truth!

Meanwhile, the AC has condemned the failure by Obasanjo to mention - in his presentation to the panel, Lagos among the states that have independent power projects, even though the state actually pioneered this project in Nigeria.

"Again, Obasanjo has allowed his vindictiveness to becloud his sense of fairness by pretending that there is no independent power project in Lagos. How mean can a supposed statesman be?" the party queried.

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