uSlness&
economx:--:-.......___~~_~_:--___ Lag':::~~::oms rebruJator HE La~os GmWTltI*nl
T es1llblished
the
Blackouts: FG blames inadequate water level, gas supply Marti n Ayankola
State
has Urban
Fumil11~
Regulatory Unit under he !.finistry of PhYslCllI IJallnlog and Urban ~Iopment to !"qulate the activities of teJecoms Gp'!r1ltor:s .nd Internet Scrvi;e Providem, especially in the area of installatiOIl 0' masts aud
HE Ministu of Po~r, Prof Bart Nnaji, has
T blamed the:dip in electricity sUllply across the country in the last one month on low ....lIer \e\"eJ in the dams supplying wate- to the th~ hydro power stations al Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro lit' also blamed the situation on shortage of
Zas lIupply 10 the thermal
I~"er'l.
statiOllS
The CommissiOUec- fot Physical Ph nning and
Nnaji said, -It is our tough luck thai we are experiencing our worst water 1~ m 10 years because of the poor l"IIioy season last year in neighbourin& countries from which we derive black
Umll I)e\-~meul, Mr. Oluloy D Ayinde, said in • 5" atement on Wednesday tl:.at the UFRU
would
addre:s
anomalies
created by llel"SOns and org.misalio~ who "'~ erecting mast; a nti towers illdiscriminatlly withou.t regard to the >tate's Urban and Regkmal f>lanning and Deve:bpn:aent Law 2010. and other I'q,llations.. He said the UFRU had heeD mandated to immediately commence its regulatory functions.. while calling on membet3 of the puhlit. especilUy telecoms O~OI"5, ISPs a nd all organisations involved in the use. and installation of masts and t£ wets in the stale 10 cooperate with the body. He, tbereforf:. urged t1wn to takr: the: estat4isbm~ Of the agetlC)' ~rionsly and comply with the reguiationJ that woukl be rdea5f!d by tlw UFRU Oi~
nuny season in Nigena. which gets Ii) its climax in July of every year, unlike the blmck flood, which gets to il.5 peak in No~mber· The minister explained thai thernlal po...-er plants werebuiltinthepastwithout proper arrangemenl.5 for either gas pipelines or gas supply lbere \..-as little coordination belv.~n the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Petroleum Re5O\Irceti and Ihe agencies
under them for the provi5ion of g,as: he saMi. All that has now changed. according 10 the minister. lie added that a bi-ministerial committee was established m February, and it had been meeting monthly to review developments in gas supply 10 the power sector. Nnaji promised that Ni,ena os would soon noUce a p1Iidual and steady Imp~ment in power u'ai"'bility. lie said, -A minimum of 1,000 Megawatts will be added this year to the
D
relationship 1Jetween the
pnrues.
Utuama . ,.hu wa5 the chaimlan louring the International ('.(Inference on 'Oil and G:t~ Contract j nd Dispute Resolution organised by the Nigerian instilUle of Ad\'llD~ I.e: !<II Studies in Asabn, served thai mOlit conlllClli between oil componies an) Uleir host communities had tbcir roots in Ih~ ab8enCC' of legislation th:+ fmpowercd the laller b, d the fonll~r ~1!SI.~ibr f Il~r aN of oml!Slion He deClj.ed the CUrTI"l1t 1f'P1 pfO\is~ 'n" in the paroff-um in:illstry UI3t only demand:!ll that the oil companip" needed 10 Just see\; th~ rousent of tlu~ land owno 1"5, stressi", that lhe IUIII had COUle ,'.-hen thi! l..'On pauies must be OJanddle!. to enter pconnlnellt a011 binding cIontrtcts ..ith '!Qmmunilics In their ~51 fllpcraUon.
at
h1
knowledge ~ry problem militating apinst meeting their respecth-e deadlines. The mtnlSler spoke ....Ilh Journalists m Ahuja on Wednesday after a visit to a power station under colIStroehon al Ihonvbor, Edo Stale, under the luspias of the Nauonal Integrated Power Projl'Cl. The 4soMW power station is made up of four units and will be inauKuOlh:d later Ihis
YU' Nnaji Slid. -I paid an unscheduled '"l!illtothe f,cilitv to see thmgs for mysdf, rathir than beeng salis6ed WIth mere l55ufllnces from t(!ntfllcton .nd other stlkeholder; From the look of thmg5, the 5"'1tchyard will be ready in May and Ihe Iflinsmission m(rastructure through wtu(h power generaled from the NIPP Lol19 wlll be evacuated "iII be ready IR June -General E1ectne, the colltractlng firm handhlll the four units, has prorm!led thai each unit .....11 be inau!ul'1Ited e'<'er)' month from June if it is provided with dectricity to comillete the job as soon as possible.-
Shippers' body d ecries excessive demurrage charges Emlllanuel Addeh.
Warn HE Nigerian Shippers As5oc13lJon. Della State branch, has decried !lIe exccssh-e demurrage being paid by il5 members at 5eaporlS body lamented TIlc the wrong calculation of detention charges bome by tenmnal operators and shipping linel!, sayin! they were adding 10 the toSt of doing business in the country At the inauguration of lhe new execu!I"e member.; of the slate branch of the body in Warn. the Zonal C()()nhnator. Soulh-South. NSA. Mr Mauna Effllnp. \\'00 repmcnted the National President. lI,!ed membe~ II) fonn I common front to tackle the problem. He said the idea of 1Mpresence nf tilt uo:ocu.l1on in diffe~nt wnes ",as to make the &mup ~Iroll!~r anti .ibranl to meet the l').:pl!naIlOIl of liS membeD EffHlIl!a. ""ho 5JJO~e .m the n~ (or thl:' ISo5OClallOn to embark 011 III a~\"e enhghll'nnleflt camlMlgn for dnppers 10 the CIllmtl). noted th.1 it "'QUid pl'O\ide II platform 10 resoh-e common problems ,oJe al1' aWV'l' of ''QUr
T
disputes
SLTA Sate Deputy Go\"l'mor Prof. AmOlii Utuam I bus called for JeBisl:rtio I that will e,"J)O\~r couununilies to ~ter bintliJ:l!, contractli WIth oil companies operating io II eirareas as a way of I'mr.lJHeeiog better t\'i'O
nood for the h)1Iro planl5. -nae while nood refers 10 flood denV!!d during the
quantum of 4,400MW. which .....e achieved in January, and all will be put on the national grid because of the immense work done on the transml5Sion network.. -me fulun! Qr Nigena '5 power sector is quite fOS)'. in splle of the temporary setback we are facing. This is why global compames like General Electric. Siemen5 and Daewoo an! keenly participating in Ihe oligOtn& power reform programme. ~ Nnaji also said all parnes LO\'Oh'ed in the execution of prnJccts to bring aboul a quick inaease in electricity supply should bring to hill
t9ricUItU~,.~.~~::;:~::~::~~~~1l!'mo"y '0 mark ro,"merci~lisallon ofca.ssa~"'~fl~.~":,;;:-:::diii1.",,v:of Ihe
.re«lIf/y.
Bill to amend CBN Act passes second reading A billlQamendtheCentral 1'l.B.lnk of Nigeria Acl on Wednesd.1y passed Ulrough <oerolld readingal the Iiolise .,f Representatives TIlt' bill proVide.« for t h~ ,Ippolntment of 11 l)I!'rsan, other than the: CBN gO\'ernor. as the chamlUtn, ,Ind the exclusion of the deput,· go'"t'fllors and IlirectOt'S as members of the hank's Board of Directors It al-.o ~ks to di\'est I he blla rd of tlK> power to onsiclrr and apprO"e Ihe '"l1ual blld&et of the bank 111l bill according I, it!'; spon50lS, will l'lIhoncc tr.mspar~ney Ilnd 'ntrell("h th·· prindpll' of h~k.., and balanres 11\ Ihe ndlllll1l..... ration and pt'ra!ion .. oflhe CBN Le3dinJl;lhedebateolllhe meritsofthe bill. Mr. Adam5 I'I~'lbl said the amendnK'nt I 'lIIg !;ol1ght \oflS basicall\ ,," tht' appointment of the , hainnan and members of the boord ~ponsible fQI" policy rQrlllubtion in the I·Jnk.
Hl' ohserved that out of thel2membersoftheboard as I)~nlly collSlituted; onl~ the .\ttO\lntanlGeneral of Ihl' Federation and the representatives of the MinlSt!" of Finan~ were from outside the eON Jagaba ....,id the amendmenl was also nooes5ar}' to make the eBN
Ad conform to the rlSCal
ResponsibilityAct. Mr Samson Osagie, Mr Leo Ogor and Mr. Anla Anmsi all spoOke in fa\'OlIr or the bill The lawmnkers agreed that th~ bill 1\'3lI timely to fill In the -lacuna we ha\'e d~red in Ihe AcL Other members, who supported the bill, said the: R
amendment would also ensure thaI the salaries and ....ages of CBN staff confomled 10 the template of th~ SalaMe! and Wages CommISSion Mr Simon Araoo, In his contributton So'l1d, !his amendment sought by this parliament will whittle down the powers of the eBN."
Chevron explosion: Fis hermen demand N360m compensation by Em 0rua1tLl. and obWlieti M ik e Odiegwu. our cnrre:pondent in YenaJloa
F
ISIlf.RMEI\ operating ill 8J\('lsa Slate on \\fed/lesda.)· delnandKi N360m from Chevron Ni~('na Limned as ('fImprn.~holl for the p~ eXI)loo;lOll tba ()('(:urred at a faeUit,· 1~'k)[Jgin!l; to tl~ company- i I KoluamD. Soulhem Ij. Lw Local Go\""mml"nt Area of tht
"''' TIle tlShenllen. under the aegb of 8.1}'1!!lsa ~p
Sea Fishellilen ('ooperali\'e Union Limited. $lid the mone\' Ivould help to
em.hion the effects of los...>;t'< thf')' IIlcurmlaftu the mdd~nt
ThecompaU;....' gas ....ellhad on Jamu.n- 16 1011 parRd off fire thai raged ull
6pkxl~
Mirth 2, 2012, an incilknt ,J~ed the frosl\" relilll"ftsJUP betwffn the finn
that
and lIS host C\,IllImurulleS.
1be fishennefl "'~ anlJ' that months afin the "I1lo-.ioo. Chf"l.1l)n had failed to adeqUl:te!y t'Ompensate them In I leiter dated April 12. 2(112 ..... hich W35 signed In the President BDSFCU. Mr
YenagOi on W~lIesdny. th~ fishemlen a~ued thai th~ gas f"xpl(lSion Impacted negutlwl,' on the sea and other marine resources. mdudingfish Thp leller. which was rK'eh'ed b) Che'<TQn on April 17, was addressed to the managing director of the company The fishermen said the explOllion had denied them tht'lr means of Iwelihood and IIl'&ed the coml)lln), to be resj)onSl\'e in COlIIl)l!llSIItmg them
challen&~but~willlXlnlinue
toell511l1' thai sh'I'p!'nopet1lte III a ronoillci"l' en.ironment for thf ImportatIOn nllli .. xportaUun of cafl0e5, ~ Effanga Slid