Nigeria may be thrown into more darkness according to statements credited to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power Ambassador Godknows Igali, as supply have dropped abysmally to an unprecedented low of 1,327 megawatts.
Igali gave the hint after he accompanied the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo to brief the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, on the current power problem in the country.
Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting with Sambo, Igali noted that it had become necessary to update Nigerians on the current power situation in the country.
He said before government started facing the current challenges, the power sector had generated between 4,800 megawatts at the beginning of the year, “with a potential to get up to 6,000 megawatts based on the available gas and hydros”.
Igali continued: “Besides, pipeline vandalization which has continued to have very negative impact on the power supply situation in the country, the on-going strike by labour unions in the oil and gas sector has added additional toll. The current strike by both senior and junior staff unions of the NNPC, NUPENG and PENGASSIN, has led to further reduction of the amount of gas available to most of our power plants, especially in the western axis.
“As at 12.00 noon Friday, 22nd May, 2015, Utorogu, Chevron Ore Do and Ob En gas plants are shut down while Ugheli and CNL Escravos are isolated already. On the eastern axis, Shell Gas, ALAKIRI has also been shut down. This has led to the several power plants being stranded. This includes EGBIN, OLORUNSHOGO I & 11, OMOTOSHO 1& 11, GEREGU I & 11, IHONVOR and SAPELE (NIPP) on the western axis and ALAOJI on the eastern end”.
Lamenting the current state at which power supply has dropped, he said, “The overall effect is that power supply which had started picking up steadily since the beginning of the week, following repairs of various vandalized portions of the ELP Line and the Trans-Forcados Gas Pipelines has fallen to all-time-unprecedented low of 1,327m was at 1.00 p.m. on Friday, 22nd May, 2015. This situation could get worse if the strike action continues.
“The Federal Ministry of Power hopes, that the on-going discussion between the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Petroleum Corporation and, the Labour Unions, will end amicably and soonest to save the country from such a major disruption of essential services. Indeed, it is hoped that the Labour Unions would help restore supply of gas to the power plants even while negotiation are on-going”.