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OPTIMISM Hope of improvement in generation rises, as oil workers end strike, which had earlier led to cut of gas supply to Egbin and Geregu
Power generation and supply in Nigeria has again fallen from the 4,000 Mega watt (MW) peak to 3,100 MW. Investigations by New Telegraph showed that the fall was caused by the cut in gas supply to biggest thermal plants in Egbin and Geregu as well as the plants in AES, Olorunsogo and Sapele by oil workers last week. Although the strike had been called off, checks by this newspaper showed that the cut in gas supply had effects on power generation from the two firms. Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, confirmed the set back in power generation at the weekend.
The strike by members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria PENGASSAN), he said, had led to drastic reduction in generation. Speaking on the effect of the workers’ action on gas supply to the power plants, Nebo said in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kande Daniel, that the actions taken by members of NUPENG and PENGASSAN in the course of their strike cut off gas supply to major power stations including Egbin, AES, Olorunsogo, Geregu and Sapele.
The minister regretted the adverse effect of the strike on power supply at a time government had recorded substantial progress in solving the gas problem, which has raised generation in recent weeks to an average of 4,500, with a spinning reserve of about 300MW. According to him, reports from across the country had indicated noticeable improvement in the quantity and quality of power supply to homes and businesses.
He, therefore, decried the current setback arising from the oil and gas workers’ action, which curtailed gas supply to power stations and reduced power generation. This has inevitably led to a drastic reduction in power supply across the country, he added. NUPENG and PENGASSAN had, last Tuesday, embarked on strike because of the cancellation of the closed pension system for the workers by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The unions also claimed that the management of the NNPC had also refused to fund contributions to the scheme, which they said remained the workers’ legacy pension plan.
The minister assured that efforts were on to ensure a speedy and amicable resolution of the matter and appealed for the understanding of electricity consumers affected by the development. While appreciating the concerns and fears of the workers, Nebo appealed to members of NUPENG and PENGASSAN to take into consideration the enormous damaging socio-economic effect of their action on the nation and return to work. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Electricity Sector, has asked the Federal Government to pay the three months pension arrears owed his members.
The union’s president, Chief Temple Ubani and its secretary, Olukayode Ogunbiyi, in a communiqué, expressed disgust over the delay in the payment of pension arrears of its members nationwide. According to them, the union’s NEC has empowered its national leadership to take all necessary steps towards the payment of the three months arrears and to work for timely payment of subsequent pensions. The ex-workers of the electricity sector are being owed June to August 2014 pension arrears by the Federal Government. The union enjoined its members to fast and pray on the day of the protest with a view to ensuring its success..
OPTIMISM Hope of improvement in generation rises, as oil workers end strike, which had earlier led to cut of gas supply to Egbin and Geregu
Power generation and supply in Nigeria has again fallen from the 4,000 Mega watt (MW) peak to 3,100 MW. Investigations by New Telegraph showed that the fall was caused by the cut in gas supply to biggest thermal plants in Egbin and Geregu as well as the plants in AES, Olorunsogo and Sapele by oil workers last week. Although the strike had been called off, checks by this newspaper showed that the cut in gas supply had effects on power generation from the two firms. Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, confirmed the set back in power generation at the weekend.
The strike by members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria PENGASSAN), he said, had led to drastic reduction in generation. Speaking on the effect of the workers’ action on gas supply to the power plants, Nebo said in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kande Daniel, that the actions taken by members of NUPENG and PENGASSAN in the course of their strike cut off gas supply to major power stations including Egbin, AES, Olorunsogo, Geregu and Sapele.
The minister regretted the adverse effect of the strike on power supply at a time government had recorded substantial progress in solving the gas problem, which has raised generation in recent weeks to an average of 4,500, with a spinning reserve of about 300MW. According to him, reports from across the country had indicated noticeable improvement in the quantity and quality of power supply to homes and businesses.
He, therefore, decried the current setback arising from the oil and gas workers’ action, which curtailed gas supply to power stations and reduced power generation. This has inevitably led to a drastic reduction in power supply across the country, he added. NUPENG and PENGASSAN had, last Tuesday, embarked on strike because of the cancellation of the closed pension system for the workers by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The unions also claimed that the management of the NNPC had also refused to fund contributions to the scheme, which they said remained the workers’ legacy pension plan.
The minister assured that efforts were on to ensure a speedy and amicable resolution of the matter and appealed for the understanding of electricity consumers affected by the development. While appreciating the concerns and fears of the workers, Nebo appealed to members of NUPENG and PENGASSAN to take into consideration the enormous damaging socio-economic effect of their action on the nation and return to work. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Electricity Sector, has asked the Federal Government to pay the three months pension arrears owed his members.
The union’s president, Chief Temple Ubani and its secretary, Olukayode Ogunbiyi, in a communiqué, expressed disgust over the delay in the payment of pension arrears of its members nationwide. According to them, the union’s NEC has empowered its national leadership to take all necessary steps towards the payment of the three months arrears and to work for timely payment of subsequent pensions. The ex-workers of the electricity sector are being owed June to August 2014 pension arrears by the Federal Government. The union enjoined its members to fast and pray on the day of the protest with a view to ensuring its success..
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