Now that the Ogun State Commissioner for Special Duties have eventually returned that the Ibikunle Amosun government is proposing to revisit the Ogun State Power project conceived and initiated by the Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration, I need to make this clarifications. This becomes necessary because hitherto my attention had been drawn to some posts importing that some Amosun cyber warriors are alluding to the fact that the power plants equipment by our administration are of obsolete equipment. And that such equipment have never been used anywhere in Nigeria before. I have sought endlessly on the cyberspace for where such reference were made to no avial.
But for the records, the followings facts can be adopted as part of our administration's reactions on this subject.
First, let me reconfirm that all the equipments and their respective plant houses specified and designed by accredited external consultants were procured new and are not with obsolete technology.
The procurement of these projects was conceived for the following reasons:
> (1) Sometimes between 2005-2006, Ogun State and indeed Abeokuta the State capital, was thrown into total darkness for a continous and unprecedented 10days. Such precarious situation from PHCN, almost resulted into serious epidemic due to non-functional Water Works Schemes, as the installed alternative diesel-powered generators that were supposed to be on standby became the main source of power (in fact there was this 2.4MVA generator which uses approximately 3 drums of diesel every one hour). And because of the epileptic performances of the very old standby generators installed in almost all the urban water schemes in the State, the Executive Council of Ogun State government then decided to provide independent captive power plant on perpetual running turbine that can produce the energy required for each of the urban and semi- urban water schemes across the State. Prior to this, all major rehabilitation, upgrading and refurbishment necessary for these Urban Water Schemes, inherited from the previous administration of Chief Olusegun Osoba, were diligently continued and completed, while new ones were also introduced and implemented via funds (loans and grants) secured through the World Bank Assisted Programme and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources simultaneously under the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project (NUWSRP). Therefore, all that was required to guarrantee 24/7 water supply to all consumers in the State, were duly executed. However, the only important missing link for the water schemes to operate at their maximum capacity remains steady, but continous power supply from the National grid. Water Schemes and electricity are like siamese twins any day. There is a cybernetic relationship between them. Hence, hydro power stations.
Therefore, the near epidemic situation of 2006 became something that the OGD administration would not want anybody in the State to experience again. This hoewever informed the aggressive posture and actions dedicated to combat the epileptic power shortages in the State particularly at locations where the Urban and Semi-Urban Water Schemes are sited.
These integrated power projects were conceived, planned and categorized into three stages in the following order:
> (a) The provision of dedicated PHCN lines to the Water Schemes, to guarrantee some kind of steady supply from the National grid whenever it is available. At this time, the total energy demand in Ogun State is in the range of 120Mw per day. But the reality is that what comes to Ogun State on a good day sometimes range between 15-30mw, and this, at good times at maximum of 4hrs daily and not even continous. However, dedicated lines were effectively and practically provided for the main Ogun Water Scheme at Araganga, Abeokuta, during this time, while machinery and due process for other schemes, were put in motion. But due to non availability of funds, brand new generators were procured for these schemes, at least to get them running for minimum of 6 hours daily, until the proposed mini-power plants were installed and commissioned.
> (b) The specification, design, procurement and installation of the required rating of power plants, for the Urban Water Schemes.
Reputable external consultants in the Energy Industry were retained by the State Government, to scout and recommend required power equipment with respective ratings for the approved locations, ancillary provision designs and other engineering specifications for the project completed.
> Indeed official visits to locations where similar plants have been installed and which were subsequently specified by consultants were undertaken by top government officials including members of the House of Assembly Sub-committee members on Water Resources. It is however important to state that the reconaisance visit took the State officials to three industrial locations in Kano, Ikorodu, where these similar plants have been the major source of power for the respective industries non-stop for more than 15 years, with little or no maintenance or major technical challenges. These equipment uses LPFO, gas or diesel as optional fossil fuel to power the mini turbines. While the consultants on retainership confirmed the manufacturer of the turbine as CSI of Nnigbo China, the various land survey site locations for the proposed plant house structures were undertaken. Also procured were the various structural, mechanical/electrical engineering designs by the consultants. All of these including the bill of quantities were reviewed, revised, adopted and approved by the State Executive Council after thorough review by the State Energy Council, which comprised all the top state civil service officials from all related agencies, including Ministry of Finance/Water Corp, and subsequent State Tenders Board recommendations.
Part of the contractual terms with the manufacturer and it's Nigerian subsidiary signed, are the customised-manufacture of the turbines, factory training of 15 Ogun State civil servants during the factory production of the turbines and for pre-delivery testing, delivery of the complete equipment as specified including supply of 2 years maintenance spate parts for servicing, construction of plant houses, installation/ commissioning of the plants and management of the plant for 5 years for the already trained 15 officials to take over.
It should therefore be noted that the civil servants ( Mechanical/Electrical Engineers) that were trained in Nnigbo, China, on the two seperate occasions, with respect to Contract Agreement, were drawn from the State Water Corporation, OGSEP, Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Special Duties respectively.
> While all the complete equipment for the 23 mini-power plant locations across the State including its accessories and the 2 years Maintenance Spare Parts were delivered to Govt, by the approved Equipment Credit Procurement Supplier. In the meantime, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) issued an import quality guarantee certificate, based on their statutory overseas inspectors agent report of the manufacturer's production record. Indeed without this quality certificate, no commercial bank in Nigeria will open any letter of credit for the manufacturer to commence production.
> However, the issue of being an obsolete equipment does not even arise in the case of these equipment, as all turbines engines all over the world, use a single and old technology of "combustion"- Rakine Theory. Since this technology was discovered in the 17th century...., this has been the only technology in the world to date that drives engine to produce power. Anything that looks modern around turbines and generators are in the foundry moulds, electrical packaging panels and outputs. I therefore stand to be corrected in this assertion.
> (c) the third leg on this project, was designed around the maintenance/management of the plants during and after the mandatory 5 yearrs Mangement periods signed with the Chinese manufacturer- CSI INTERNATIONAL.
> Because the State Government believed that no matter how good a project is, in terms of execution, if the maintenance/management manual is faulty or non existing, the goals and objectives of the project can never be derived, while the set derivates anticipated from the uptimal performances of the equipment, can never be achieved.
> It was based on this set goal that, a dedicated and well equipped mobile maintenance vehicle was procured along with other plant equipment/ 2 years maintenance stock spares, to access all locations at request, with the intention of a train the trainer model, as human capacity resource growth in this industry, for our State.
> In the meantime, the State Government during the conceptualization of the project, indeed made provision of excess energy rating in the designs of each of the mini power plants, with the intention to service the respective neighborhood where the plants were located. It is anticipated, that the excess energy generated from plants serving Ota, Yemoji, Papalanto, Okemosan, Araganga Water schemes etc, will be extended to surrounding commercial/housing estates on tarrif paying basis, to reduce the expected and initial running cost of the plants. We were therefore happy when the new administration of Amosun in Ogun State, commenced the power distribution extension network from the Okemosan 7mw Mini-power plant to several housing estates and some commercial centres along Abeokuta- Kobape-Siun Expressway, up to Day Waterman College premises. We are however not in a position to comment on whether those connected consumers along this route were charged any fees as planned.
> However, for the Ibikunle Amosun Government to operate within the ambit of the statutory laws, as it relates to the Nigerian Electrification Regulatory Commission (NERC) acts, the Ogun State Govt via its investment arm-Gateway Holdings Ltd, was implored to enter into a joint venture partnership with Gateway Distribution Company- a private engineering concern, with the intention to apply for a distribution licence. After about 15 months review, the NERC finally approved the first private Electricity Distribution Company in Nigeria, to Gateway Electricity Distribution Co Ltd.
> If this company is encouraged to operate as conceptualised, extra income to the State govt will be realized directly from the joint venture operation, as energy will be procured from the State govt mini-power plants and will be sold at statutory tarrifs to consumers by the new Gateway Distribution Co.
> I will assume that all the consultants on these projects are still in the services of the State government, and as such could be contacted to give a through appraisal reports on this unique project that had been envy for other States to copy. Despite the fact that the Ogun State mini-power plant especially the 7mw Okemosan plant, was the only one completed and commissioned out of the 23 plants procured, before the new administration of Gov Amosun got inaugurated in May 29th 2011, it remained the only operating independent power plant in Nigeria apart from Lagos, that is generating and distributing power to captive electricity consumers continously.
> On a final note, it was the desire and expectation of a responsive and proactive govt of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, that the Amosun administration will continue on the progress made so far on this very important project, especially on the outstanding 22 mini-power plants of which the whole equipment needed for their respective installations have been delivered and safely warehoused, while the development of the plant houses and its ancillaries, were at various stages of constructions.
Information reaching us however indicate that the new government does not want to continue with these developments of the mini- power plants, despite the huge financial cost already incurred, while all the civil servants specially trained abroad on the maintenance/management of the plant have either been transferred out of the only plant commissioned at Okemosan, or sacked for being tagged as OGD boys. Persecution and victimization on innocent civil/public officials continues.
> We therefore implore that the new govt continue with this power plant project, because govt all over the world is a continuum. Why can't we in Nigeria for once draw lessons from the Construction of the Capitol Hill Complex Building in Washington DC, USA, where the National Legislative arm of the Americans Democratic Governance and Politics operates. This major construction works commences in 1793, while in November 1800, the US Congress had its first session in the completed portion of the North wing. In 1850, other portion of the North and South wings were completed. Imagine the many successive governments that contributed their own quota without halting the development projects, to making the US Capitol and it's stately dome the international symbol of the US democratic representative, that is of good envy to other nations of the world.
> If you don't heed this sincere advice and learn good lesson from the American example as above, we may therefore start worrying at this stage, on what the Amosun successor will also do to all his projects and policies after May 2015.
Steve Oliyide
Former Special Assistant - Media (Water Corporation)
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