FG to Commit N1.5bn on Egbin Power Station

Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji

 

The Federal Government has pledged to commit N1.5billion to fund the repair of the Unit 6 of the Egbin Power Station in Lagos, the biggest power-generating plant in the country, to ensure that the station realises its full capacity of 1,320megawatts of electricity.

Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji stated this at a recent inspection tour of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) installations in the south west part of the country.

Nnaji, who was accompanied by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, assured that the government would not only ensure the realisation of 1,320mw at Egbin, but also consider the expansion of the plant.

He stated that the government would not allow any investor that was not interested in increasing generating capacity to take over any power plant across the country and also assured electricity workers of the security of their jobs.

“I like to tell the workers that they shouldn’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid because what is going to happen here is not getting anybody off work. There is nobody that is interested in that but rather to make it possible for you to do your job better than the way that you are doing it now,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer of Egbin Power Station, Mr. Mike Uzoigwe, had told Nnaji that the workers would no longer wish to cannibalise Unit 6 to repair other units and solicited for N1.5billion to complete the repairs of the unit within the next 10 months.

“Some of us who started working here immediately after NYSC and others witnessed this station pulling full capacity at 1,320mw. Sir, we wish to retire and leave the plant at full capacity. We are passionate about completing the repairs of ST-06. We no more wish to cannibalise it in order to repair other units,” he said.

Uzoigwe, who disclosed that the station currently generates 1,080mw, lamented that the level of funding had dwindled in the last two years, making it difficult to sustain what had been achieved.

He said the workers are known for precision and best practice, adding that they have run the plant for 27 years.

According to him, five out of the six units are at almost full capacity and more than 80 per cent availability.

He acknowledged that funding of the plant from the Federal Government increased in the last six years due to what he called “intervention” fund, Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) and reasonable level of appropriation from the Federal Government funding.

“We were able to raise our availability from only about three units to our present availability of five units. In the last two years, however, this level of funding has dwindled making it difficult to sustain what we have achieved. We are on a downward trend and do not want to go down.

“We understand our plant will be privatised and we accept and are ready since we know some of us will remain here. Also the government and the people of Nigeria will continue to have equity in the plant and we therefore, wish to plead that a lot more money be sent to make us achieve our goal of power generation sustenance, without suffering. There is no need to let the plant go down before we reach the Promised Land,” he explained.