Address of Welcome by the Mr James A. Olotu, Managing Director / Chief Executive, NDPHC at the Official Commissioning Ceremony of NDPHC/NIPP Omotosho Phase II Power Station on Saturday October 19, 2013.
Your Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Your Excellency, Arc. Namadi Sambo, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman, Board of Directors of Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (here represented by HE Alh. Ibrahim Dankwambo- Executive Governor of Gombe State),
Your Excellency, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, Executive Governor of Ondo State,
Your Excellencies, the Executive Governor members of the Board of NDPHC,
Your Excellencies the Executive Governors of neighbouring states and other members of the National Economic Council,
Your Excellency, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, National Chairman of PDP,
Distinguished Senator Philip Aduda, Chairman, Senate Committee on Power and Steel,
Hon. Patrick Ikhariale, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Power,
Honourable members of the National Assembly present,
Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Honourable Minister of Power,
Members of the Federal Executive Council,
Honourable Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly,
Members of Ondo State Executive Council,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Ambassador Godswill Igali, OON, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power,
My Lords, Spiritual and Temporal,
Your Royal Highnesses, Obas
Captains of Industry,
Gentlemen of the Press,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.
It gives me great pleasure to honoured to be the one to once again welcome you all and especially His Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, to the official commissioning of the second of the ten power plants currently under construction by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP). Just sixteen (16) days ago Nigeria and indeed the world stood still and witnessed the official commissioning by Mr President of the first of NIPP’s Power Plants-The 434MW Plant in Geregu (Ajaokuta LGA). Today, 16 days after, Nigeria is again witnessing the completion of another brand new, state of the arts power infrastructure addition in the form of a 500MW power plant. All these and more to come are fruits of the NIPP programme You, Mr President, revived from murky and slimy waters in 2009 and supported to this date thus changing its history from grass to grace. Established in 2004, NIPP, the Project arm of the NDPHC – became an intervention programme of the three tiers of Governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the leadership of the Federal Government with Men and Women of good heart, intellect and dedication to address the huge infrastructural gap in the power sector and position Nigeria’s Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) properly for the successful transition from its erstwhile state-run monopoly status to become a private sector driven competitive industry. This is in tandem with the government’s Transformation Agenda to re-invigorate the electricity supply industry in Nigeria as veritable bedrock for the country’s industrial upswing.
I stand here today with joy in my heart as a representative of this organization (NDPHC) and particularly grateful that today, we are witnessing another wonderful fruit of the hard work, determination, special, uncanny as well as uncommon will and wisdom of Mr President to see through the difficulties affecting the NIPP, lead and join forces with the States and Local Governments of Nigeria and the revive and re-invigorate NIPP when it ran into stormy waters with its funding arrangement from the Excess Crude Oil Account between 2007 and 2009 that nearly resulted in its demise. Mr President, permit me to recall that as the then Vice President, Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC) and appointed First Chairman of the Board of NDPHC, you superintended the numerous delicate and critical meetings that legally resolved funding issues that then bedevilled the NIPP, resolved and emplaced a Management Structure suitable and agreeable to all its shareholders for the occassion in support of this first time joint venture enterprise and as a no nonsence and practical leader also instilled in us to be above desktop project managers by deriving solutions through site related root cause analysis. You started this by physically and personally leading your team to the major project sites and ports thus facilitating resolution of transport issues, road inadequacy matters, port clearing and decongestion, fast project certification and settlement culture and regular project management meetings to clear and resolve other relevant issues. This is gladly one of the reasons we are here today- to celebrate your making of history in the power sector of Nigeria , the adding of another 500MW power to the good people of Nigeria in support of your Transformation Agenda for this great nation. It has always being your passion and indeed your understanding that power determines in no small measure the level of development of any nation. Nations with more power infrastructure have always been the better and wealthier ones Ceteris-Per-Ribus. Indeed, history will record that never have we had it so good, to successfully commission the addition of two brand new power plants adding about 934MW within 16 days of each other while basking in the successful privatisation of the erstwhile Power Holding Company of Nigeria with the expectation of more to come in the next few months from today. God willing your Excellency, we shall all be alive to withness these great and forth coming epoch making events in the anals of Nigeria’s rich and progressive history
The contract for the construction of this second phase development of the power plant at Omotosho (Omotosho II) was initially executed with the contractors Messrs China Machinery & Engineering Corporation (CMEC) in April 2007 as a combined cycle power plant with 4 GE Frame 9 gas turbines and additional 2 steam turbines powered by the gas turbine exhaust heat recovery boilers. However, work could not commence on the project because NIPP funding was suspended immediately the contract was awarded.
The project was re-scoped to only 4 gas turbines operating in simple cycle mode following the wise counsell you represented and partly captured above. Construction works commenced on site in April 2010 and progressed rapidly according to schedule. The first gas turbine unit plus the common systems went into full commercial operation upon the conclusion of final completion tests on 14th July 2012, while the other three units were completed and put to commercial use in quick succession on 24th September, 30th October and 15th December 2012 respectively.
The power station as re scoped, consists of four General Electric (GE) Frame 6E gas turbines operating in simple-cycle mode with a designed combined site output rating of 500MW. There is a switchyard currently evacuating the outputs of the gas turbine generators to the national grid on 330kV voltage level at Benin City and Ikeja West Substations by means of a link to one of the two circuits circuits of Benin – Ikeja West transmission line. To further enhance the wheeling capacity of the power transmission network and full evacuation of the generated outputs of the two power plants now in Omotosho, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has commenced work on a new transmission substation located close by at Omotosho village and addition 330kV transmission line circuits to Epe, Aja and Oke Aro in Lagos. The project also includes the modification of the existing NGC’s gas station to provide independent metering and facilitate steady gas supply to the new power plant.
Again, for the record let me unequivocally state and maybe for the last time, Your Excellency, that but for your firm stand to commit to this project (and indeed the first one in the fleet for your commissioning exercise, the 434MW power plant at Geregu) would not have been included in the laudable program of the NIPP. For this reason, we oft refer to the duo as Twin Plants. This was against the scepticism, turbulence and opposition of the times from some then powerful quarters about the viability of the projects. Today, we are witnessing the truism that with the right music even the cripple shall dance. Not only is this project proved, it is viable, ticking with operational efficiency, capable of delivering it’s much needed and its full 500MW capacity power to Nigerians and evidentially doing so even now. Again Your Excellency, permit me to record that in line with your love for Nigerians, the Station is being Run, Operated and Maintained by well trained Nigerian Engineers as a testimony that Nigeria is gradually taking it’s rightful place in nationhood
Credit for the unique success of the 500MW Omotosho Power Pant Project now completed on the re-scoped schedule and within budget is also shared with the contractor, Messrs CMEC of China who demonstrated serious commitment to meet its contractual obligations on schedule and within the agreed project price. Thanks also to the support of Messrs Elekroproject Katowice (EPK) of Poland working in partnership with our own Messrs Valenz Holding, as the Project Consultants. The joint venture of Lahmeyer International and O. T. Otis Engineering provided support as overall NIPP project Design and Management Consultants. Credit must also go to NDPHC Management and its dedicated Staff/Project Team who together, benefited from these professional interactions.
I wish to commend the Board of Directors of NDPHC under the solid leadership of His Excellency, Arc. Namadi Sambo, GCON, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for providing the direction, guidance and drive to achieve the vision of the initiators of the NIPP programme and astutely drive the projects in the footsteps you set before him. Members of the Board of NDPHC have remained focused and have continued to deliver on these projects after the solid foundation you have lain leaving no stone unturned in the urge to meet your great expectations.
I also wish to thank the government and the good, supportive and peace loving people of Ondo State, especially the communities around the project site in Omotosho Okitipupa LGA for their patience and cooperation towards the successful and timely realisation of this edifice today. It should be noted that Ondo State, like her partners as shareholders of NDPHC, hearkened to your call to contribute financially and to the fullness of her expected allocation to the project funds leading to this success story and more to come. To the three tiers of Governments- We salute you all most specially.
I also wish to complement the support and assistance of members of the Power Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives under the leadership of Dist. Senator Philip Aduda and Hon Patrick Ikhariale respectively for their advisory and solid project monitoring roles and Understanding. The same must be recorded of the Presidential Task Force on Power under the leadership of Engr. Beks Dagogo-Jack.
I specially recognize the positive roles played and continually being played by the Hon Ministers of Power and Petroleum and their teams in TCN, NERC and NNPC, GACN, NGC etc respectively in the numerous and continuing interventions especially those that assure the completion of our Gas Infrastructures and availability of the gas molecules without which this, success story will have remained a myth
Finally, I wish to thank and commend His Excellency, Mr President, for his total conviction in making power a number one priority in the country today and to commend your drive to pursue this passion in support of your Transformation Agenda for the people of Nigeria. It takes an excellent man to excellently execute and complete an excellent project. You, your excellency are the Excellent Man our Main Man. We join hands together and salute such excellency Mr President. Once again and in answer to your oft-asked questions on each occasion we met, this is a testimony to the electric power you demanded for. All glory to God for the completion of this wonderful project to which you are all here welcomed to witness. Who says Nigeria is not progressing under the transformation Agenda of our dear President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan? Come and Seeeeeeeoooooo. GGGGGBBBBBBBOoooooooooooooSsssssssssssssssaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Your Excellency, Mr President Sir, welcome to your completed 500MW Omotosho II Power Plant Project in Ondo State.
Thank you.
James Abiodun Olotu
Managing Director/Chief Executive
NDPHC
