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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government on Wednesday blamed its inability to reach the target of 5,000 megawatts of electricity generation as promised on shortage of gas supply.
This was even as it has said the inauguration of the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), will only take place at the concluson of the forensic audit report it instituted.
The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, regretted that power generation had remained around 4,000 megawatts because of the problem of gas, despite government‘s firm contract with the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc.
He however assured that all necessary ingredients has now been obtained to resolve the problem as his ministry was working round the clock to improve the situation.
The Minister also revealed that FEC approved N2.740 billion, as the revised estimates for the updated rates of building structures of compensation and resettlement of the communities affected by the construction of 700 megawatts Zungaro Hydro electric power project.
The amount revised the subsisting amount from N19.640 billion to N22.380 billion.
Also speaking, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana, assured that government was also anxious to see the board of the NDDC in place because it would aid the smooth working of the ministry.
He said, that will only happen if the forensic report is out, stressing that government was at the stage of concluding on that. According to him, And I can very conveniently say that the constitution of the board will follow immediately thereafter. Nobody is trying to stall the constitution of the board. Nobody. I want the board in place, because it would make my work run smoothly. But we must also follow due process, conclude on this report and the white paper is issued. So that is the position.” Umana also said the council approved the additional costs of carrying out the forensic audit in the size of was considered and approved by counsel.
