BPE Trains Staff
Energy Briefs
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THE Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, has charged its workers to acquaint themselves with monitoring techniques to ensure that the core investors in the power sector fulfill the agreements of the transaction. Benjamin Dikki, director general, BPE, said that unlike in the other transactions, the post privatisation monitoring of the power companies was complex and required adequate understanding of the issues involved by all staff who will be involved in the monitoring process.
Dikki while declaring open the training for staff of the Bureau on post privatisation monitoring of privatised power companies, said that the post privatisation monitoring department, PPM, of the Bureau would not be left alone to monitor the power companies. He also stated that the BPE was going to collaborate with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to enforce the agreements.
He urged staff to take the training seriously “so that anyone of you called upon to monitor these power companies will not be found wanting,” adding that his administration was committed to the training and re-training of staff to bring about efficient and quality service delivery. Said he: “We will also create the enabling environment for staff to bring out good initiatives and quality output.”
NNPC to Improve Gas Supply
THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, has promised to improve gas supply to power plants in the next five weeks, following the massive repair works on ruptured gas pipeline in the Niger Delta region. The corporation also said that a total of N800 million had so far been spent to repair a number of vandalised gas pipelines.
Andrew Yakubu, group managing director, NNPC, said with the ongoing repairs on the pipelines which he blamed on the activities of saboteurs, gas supply to power plants would improve appreciably in the next five weeks. He attributed the recent drop in gas supply for power generation on the rising incidents of outright sabotage of some crucial gas pipelines, which significantly eroded available gas to the power plants.
Yakubu recalled that the period gas pipelines vandalism akin to the recent incidence was between 2007 and 2009, during the peak of militancy in the Niger Delta. “You will recall that attacks on gas pipeline were most severe in 2007 and 2009 at the peak of Niger Delta militancy. However, following the federal Government amnesty, we saw a major improvement which is testament to the effectiveness of the amnesty programme. We never saw any attack in the last three years, so these recent attacks on gas pipeline is just a surprise to us,” he said.
Yakubu, who said that more that 30 percent of the 480MMsf/d installed gas supply capacity was out due mainly to vandalism, stressed further that “the lost gas is the equivalent to the gas requirement to generate about 1, 600MW of electricity.” He listed the pipelines involved to include the Escravos-Warri stretch of the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System, ELPS, which accounts for 190mmcf/d and the Trans-Forcados crude pipeline, 230mmcd/d.
MEND Responsible for Attack on AGIP
THE Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, has claimed responsibility for the attack on the tugboat belonging to Agip Nigerian Oil Company and the abduction of two personnel on the waterways of Nembe in Nembe local government area of Bayelsa State. The attack was reportedly carried out by suspected pirates.
The MEND statement, which was signed by Jomo Gbomo, it spokesman, reads: “The MEND confirms that the attack on a Joint Task Force, JTF, patrol boat on Saturday, January 25, 2014, in the Nembe-Bassanbiri waterways, Bayelsa State was, carried out by our fighters. This relatively insignificant attack is a reminder of our presence in the creeks of the Niger Delta and a sign of things to come. Our silence thus far has been strategic and at the right time, we will reduce Nigerian oil production to zero by 2015 and drive off our land, all thieving oil companies. In this new phase of our struggle for justice, the MEND will pay considerable attention to dealing with the occupying Nigerian government forces in the Niger Delta that stand in our way.”
Following the attack on its vessel by heavily armed gunmen, the abducted workers of Agip were taken to an unknown destination. Their whereabouts is still unknown, even as security operatives intensified efforts to locate them. The tugboat had six crew members at the time it was attacked by the assailants. While four were dispossessed of their valuables, the captain and the engineer were whisked away and have been held possibly for ransom.
Compiled by Anayo Ezugwu
— Feb. 10, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
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