Energy Briefs
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THE Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has called on the federal government and the military to rise up to the task of ending the insurgency and wanton destruction of lives and properties in the country. The oil workers’ also called on the military to live up to their expectations by duly performing their obligations of defending the country against any attack either internal or external.
PENGASSAN, in a statement, condemned the level of general insecurity, especially the killings of innocent citizens by the Boko Haram insurgents in the north eastern part of the country. The body called on President Goodluck Jonathan to step up the political will to deal with the crisis. Condemning the bomb blast that killed 47 school children and injured 79 others in Potiskum, Yobe State, recently, Francis Johnson, PENGASSAN president, said the federal government should use all the power within its limit to deal with the situation and ensure that Nigeria is a safe place to live.
The attacks on the Northern part of the country and killings of innocent Nigerians had been on the increase and taken a new dimension since the government announced the ceasefire pact with the Boko Haram. The oil workers urged that the government should bring full force to bear in containing the activities of the sect.
PENGASSAN president, who described the killings of the school children as barbaric, said since the insurgency started in 2009, many Nigerians have been killed while many more were rendered homeless and turned to refugees in their own country. He urged the federal government to be cautious in its negotiations and discussions with any group or terrorists that have been wreaking havoc on the lives and properties of innocent Nigerians and impacting negatively on the nation’s economy.
The union leader also called for thorough investigations on those who brought the ceasefire arrangements and the involvement of the Chadian government in the so called ‘mediation’ role. He equally urged the government to equip the military with sophisticated weapons and intelligence gathering equipment that are superior to that of the insurgents, while the military should combat and flush out the insurgents from Nigerian territory.
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American Investors to Generate 1,200MW of Solar Power
A CONSORTIUM of American investors has announced plans to generate more than 1,200 megawatts of solar-powered electricity in Nigeria over the next two years, with a capacity to expand to 10,000 megawatts in five years. The consortium, operating under the auspices of MOTIR SEASPIRE, which signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with Chinedu Nebo, minister of power, stated that it has a portfolio of more than $5 billion to invest in solar power generation in the country.
A statement from the ministry explained that while the project site was yet to be known, the proposed solar plant would be installed with guaranteed US standard on solar panel technology. Responding after signing the MoU on behalf of Nigeria, Nebo expressed his excitement that a compatriot is making such efforts in harnessing the vast potentials of solar energy in Nigeria. He added that studies have shown that Africa is greatly endowed with solar put at over three times the capacity of all other renewable energy sources combined.
The minister also commended the American group for taking the bold step. He insisted that the Nigerian government will work to fast track the project by helping the group leverage further on the Power Africa initiative of US President Barrack Obama with funding. “We must support this project, as it will be in tandem with Mr. President’s long time wish for Nigeria to enjoy its abundant solar potentials especially those in rural areas, as it is envisioned that through a project like this, they would be linked to micro or mini grid system,” Nebo said.
Emmanuel Irono, president of the consortium, said the $5 billion fund portfolio for the project could be accessed over a period of five years into the integrated renewable energy project. He said the initial 1200MW will be realised in the next two years, adding that the local content component of 80 per cent Nigerians will make the country the hub of its activities in Africa. “As a compatriot, the concern for providing employment to the teeming populace will be a plus to the company’s quest for provision of training for the Nigerian workforce in the power sector in general and renewable energy in particular,” he said.
— Dec. 1, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
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