Power Sector Reforms: Jonathan reconstitutes committees

President Goodluck Jonathan has reconstituted two committees on the power sector, with a pledge that the current stable power supply in the country will be sustained even after the rainy season. The two committees, whose reconstitution was triggered by the sudden resignation of the Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, on August 28, are the Presidential Action Committee on Power (PACP) and the Presidential Task Force on Power.

The committees are charged with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the Federal Government’s agenda for power sector reforms.

In the reconstituted committees, Jonathan will retain the chairmanship of PACP, which was established in June 2010 to provide leadership and guidance for the rapid development of Nigeria’s power sector and determine the general policy direction and strategic focus of reforms in the sector. Vice-President Namadi Sambo will serve as the deputy chairman of the committee whose other members shall include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of Service, Chief of Staff to the President, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Minister of Power, Minister of State for Power and Minister of Petroleum Resources.

Other members are Minister of National Planning, Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Special Adviser to the President (Performance Monitoring & Evaluation), Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power will serve as secretary of PACP.

However, Reynold Dagogo-Jack of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) will assume the chairmanship of the Presidential Task Force on Power, which has the duty of developing and driving the Federal Government’s action plan for the power sector, as well as articulating a proper plan of action for implementation in the areas of power generation, transmission and distribution.

Other members of the recomposed task force are the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power; Chief Executive Officer, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN); Managing Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Gas Company (NGC); Chief Executive Officer, Geregu Generation Company; Chief Executive Officer, Ughelli Generation Company; Chief Executive Officer, Eko Distribution Company; Chief Executive Officer, Abuja Distribution Company; Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Bulk Electricity Company; Chief Executive Officer, Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria and Mr. Evaristus Mogbo.