Jonathan Finally Constitutes TCN Supervisory Board

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, has announced the constitution of the supervisory board of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)

Anyim said that the constitution of a supervisory board for TCN is part of efforts by the government to reposition the transmission company towards the attainment of the goals of the power reform programme of the Federal Government. The supervisory board of TCN will be led by  Engr. Hamman Tukur as chairman, while Mr. Akinsola Akinfemiwa will assist him in the capacity of the Vice-Chairman.

Other members include the  Director of Human Resources  Management, Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE); a representative of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance; Director of Power, Ministry of Power; and  a commissioner from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The TCN board will also have the representative of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), representative of the generation companies (GENCOS), and a representative of the distribution companies (DISCOS) as members.

PHCN Privatisation: N170bn Workers’ Severance Pay Ready

Indications has emerged that the N170 billion meant for disbursement to workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) as settlement benefits to cover gratuities and pension of workers as agreed by both parties in negotiation for the transfer of ownership of the PHCN successor companies to their eventual owners is ready.

The Federal Government and the labour unions in PHCN finally resolved lingering issues that were threatening the progress of the power reform programme when they struck a deal late on the thorny issues of severance pay and pension for electricity workers after a meeting at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) in Abuja.

Speaking at the fifth national power summit organized by the Federal Ministry of Power in Lagos, the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Dr. Dere Awosika disclosed that the funds for the settlement were ready and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) was already working out total cost.

Awosika explained that letters notifying the workers to forward details of their Retirement Savings Account (RSA) for onward transfers of their benefits will be issued out to the workers.

President Jonathan Cancels Manitoba Contract

President Goodluck Jonathan has cancelled the $23.72 million management contract for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), a critical component of the power reform and privatisation programme awarded to Canadian firm, Manitoba Hydro International, which had been selected by the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) to run TCN for three years, with the option to extend for another two years.

Manitoba had signed the $23.7 million management contract with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) last July, following a long drawn out process that lasted more than five years, in which the Canadian firm and Power Grid of India had their technical and financial proposals evaluated to determine which of the companies would be selected as management contractor.

Presidency sources said the president based his decision to cancel the contract on a memo sent by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), which for several weeks, had been pushing for its cancellation on the premise that did it not pass through due process as provided under the Public Procurement Act.

PHCN Privatization: 21 shortlisted

Twenty one companies were prequalified to have their financial bids opened for the 10 distribution companies (discos) created from the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The National Council on Privatisation (NCP), rising from a meeting presided over by its chairman, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, approved their eligibility for the exercise billed to hold on October 10 in Abuja.

The meeting approved 10 companies to bid for Ikeja Disco. They are: Honeywell, Oando, Western Consortium, Integrated Energy, Amperion Power Distribution Company Limited, Vigeo Holdings, Gumco, African Corporation AFC & CESC, Kepco/NEDC Consortium, West Power and Gas, and Rockson Engineering Limited.

In the case of Eko Disco, six companies were pre-qualified comprising Oando, Integrated Energy, Sepco-Pacific Energy Consortium, Honeywell Energy, Kepco/NEDC, and West Power and Gas. Three bidders, Western Consortium, Integrated and Kepco/NEDC Consortium, were approved to bid for Ibadan Disco.

For Abuja Disco, Kann Consortium Utility Company Limited and Interstate Electrics Limited made the cut-off mark, while four companies - Rensmart Power Limited, Proglobal Power International Consortium, Interstate Electrics Limited and Eastern Electric Nigeria Limited - were prequalified to bid for Enugu Disco.  Aura Energy Limited made the cut-off mark to bid for Jos Disco; Sahelian Power SPV Limited was prequalified for Kano Disco; Power Consortium and Rockson Engineering Limited were pre-qualified for Port Harcourt Disco; while Integrated Energy was the sole bidder pre-qualified for Yola Disco.

Four companies were also pre-qualified to have their financial bids opened for Benin Disco. They are: Southern Electricity Distribution Company, Rensmart Power Limited, Vigeo Power Consortium and Rockson Engineering Limited.

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.