Ibadan Disco Commends FG, Fashola Over On Going Work On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway * Say rehabilitation has eased access to majority of its franchise, shortened travel times for its business and staff * Expresses confidence that on completion the road will boost commercial activities, quality of life of Nigerians and neighbouring countries With work rapidly progressing on the rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, acknowledgments of its benefits in terms of shorter travel times and better journey experiences and appreciation from road users have started coming the way of the Federal Government. In a recent commendation letter, the Ibadan Distribution Company (IBEDC) expressed delight and gratitude to the Hon. Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN for the rehabilitation work being carried out on the road saying it had not only eased accessibility to the company’s franchise majority of whom, it said, could only be achieved through the road, but had also made it possible for most of its staff to enjoy shorter travel times and better journey experiences as they visit their families at weekends. The commendation letter signed by the Managing Director of the Company, Mr. John Donnachie, also noted that the exigencies of the company’s business demanded that a number of official trips were often undertaken via the expressway which it described as one of the busiest within the country. The letter read in part, “The entire Management and staff of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc (IBEDC) write to recognize and acknowledge the herculean task being undertaken by the Office of the Minister of Power, Works & Housing in the on-going rehabilitation work on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. “Our commendation and gratitude for the good work which your office is undertaking on behalf of the entire citizens of Nigeria cannot be expressed enough. As you are aware, the large portion of the franchise area of IBEDC can only be accessed through this road and many of our staff had in the past undertaken the arduous task of plying this expressway in order to spend time with their families and friends over the weekend. The exigencies of our business also demands that a number of official trips are undertaken via this route which one could rightly classify as one of the busiest expressways within Nigeria”. Acknowledging that the repair works initially posed some challenges to road users, the company noted with delight that as the repair work nears completion, “the previous hardship, wear-and-tear on commuters and vehicles has been greatly reduced in addition to the millions of lives and money that have been saved as a consequence of this much needed rehabilitation”. Expressing its “support and gratitude for a job well done”, the company declared, “There is no doubt that this project on completion, will boost commercial activities and the quality of life to the inhabitants primarily of Lagos and Ibadan with significant gains recorded by all other road users from other states and neighbouring countries”. It would be recalled that recently while inspecting the on going reconstruction and rehabilitation work on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as part of his inspection tour of  Federal Highways and other projects in the South West Zone, Fashola had alluded to the fact that reports of shorter travel times and better journey experiences had been coming in as commuters testified to making the journey from Ibadan to Lagos in less than two hours even as the project was still on-going. The Minister, who also recalled similar reports on other Federal roads across the country during the 2016 Christmas and New Year festivals, promised that both travel times and journey experiences would be even better during the 2017 festivities as many of the road projects across the country would have been substantially completed. ...

“We Commit To Do More And To Make Your Lives Better”, Fashola Assures Nigerians * Says Administration is gaining momentum and results of Government policies, programmes and action are beginning to manifest * Dedicates ‘Minister of the Year Award’ to President, Vice President, FEC, National Assembly, Judiciary, FMPWH Staff Even as the nation begins to experience a gradual turnaround in its economic fortunes, Minister of Power Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has assured Nigerians of yet greater things to come saying the Federal Government was committed to making their lives better. Fashola, who was represented in Lagos on Sunday at the 20th City People Awards for Excellence by his Special Adviser on Housing, Mr Abiodun Oki, said although the Government was gaining momentum as the results of its policies, programmes and actions were beginning to manifest, the All Progressive Congress, the architects of Change, knew that the work was not yet done but just beginning adding that even those working in the government also knew that it could be a lot better. The Minister, who was presented the ‘Minister of the Year Award’ at the occasion, dedicated the Award to the entire Government body whom he likened to a football team saying just like in a football march, there would be no good striker, midfielder and defender in a team that did not do well. Dedicating the Award, first to the President Muhammadu Buhari for “picking a team of Ministers whose commitment to change is unquestionable” and the Vice President for demonstrating “his ability to complement this vision of change and his dedication to help midwife it”, Fashola noted that “it is the team and the work they do together that allows any striker, midfielder or defender to thrive”. The Minister declared, “Therefore collective success must be, and is indeed, more important than individual recognition”, adding, “A Government is no different from a football club, to the extent that they comprise individuals of different talents, passions and experiences who must work together to deliver service to the public”. “A successful team is led by a Great and resourceful manager, who often has a dependable assistant. In our Government team, President Muhammadu Buhari has discharged that role effectively by picking a team of Ministers whose commitment to change is unquestionable and the Vice President has demonstrated his ability to complement this vision of change and his dedication to help midwife it. On their behalf I accept this Award”, he said. Acknowledging that every goal scored by a striker was the result of co-ordinated team play, and interchange of passes, Fashola also dedicated the Award to the Federal Executive Council, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Cabinet Office and the Office of the Chief of Staff, saying his Ministry had benefitted from “a well-planned Budget, well-timed cash backing, very massive support and contributions to our Council Memoranda”. And because of their support and cooperation in financing the various projects of his Ministry, Fashola also dedicated the Award “to those who exercise the power of appropriation in the National Assembly” the Senators, House of Representatives members and all their Committee Chairmen, members and staff, adding that they were the real owners of the Award. Others on behalf of whom he accepted the Award, according to the Minister, were the Judiciary “as members of the team of change” without whose prompt and efficient determination of some court cases the progress so far achieved would have been hindered. “No team is complete without the army of backroom staff who we never get to see, but who help the players enormously. The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing is blessed with an army of hardworking civil servants, led by two Permanent Secretaries, Directors, the Heads of our parastatals, Deputy Directors, Controllers and other staff who have signed up for change and are daily working towards it. I accept this Award on their behalf”, he said. Reiterating that no individual recognition was worthy of note if the team was not delivering results, Fashola declared, “My Brother, the Hon. Minister of State in the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri and I accept this Award on behalf of Government as proof that our team is gaining momentum, and the results of Government policies, programmes and action are beginning to manifest”. Thanking City People and its management for inspiring the administration to pursue change, the Minister also acknowledged the All Progressive Congress, whom he described as “the architects of Change”, saying that although some significant progress has been made, the Party knew that the work was just beginning. “We the team members also know this. We know that it can be a lot better, we commit to do more and to make your lives better”, he said. ...

Investors In Omotosho Power Plant Commend FG’s Efforts To Solve Gas, Liquidity Issues In Power Sector * As Omotosho Community braces up for supply from Power Plant after years of black out * Managing Director NDPHC assures that the community would be connected before end of April * Fashola seeks factual reporting of Power Sector developments, commends confidence of Nigerian investors in their economy The Managing Director of Omotosho Power Company, Engr. Samuel Itsekiri has commended the Federal Government for the steps being taken address the Gas and liquidity challenges as well as resolving the community issues affecting the performance of the Power Plant. Giving a background of the Omotosho Power Plant after conducting the Hon. Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN round during his tour of Projects in the South West zone, the Managing Director said the Power Plant located at the Omotosho Forest Reserve in Okitipupa LGA, was commissioned on April 17, 2007, privatized on November 1, 2013 to Pacific Energy Company Limited, and is “an open cycle gas-turban power plant with a capacity of 335MW”. But, according to him, under local conditions, the capacity is 304MWs, adding with eight turbines at takeover, the availability was very poor. “We had just three units available at that time running at minimal load. But as at today due to the efforts of the Pacific Group, who sourced for funds and the amount of money spent, we are happy to announce to you that the plant records (80) per cent availability”, he said. He told the Minister, “We have all our units running and it might interest you to know that in December 2015 when we had enough gas we generated 307MWs, 2MWs above installed capacity. All the plants are still very healthy. This feat has been possible because of our technical experts”. On some of the constraints the company has, the Managing Director who listed gas as the major one, however, thanked the Minister for the efforts he is making to address it adding that about three months back the company barely ran 1,2 or 3 units at reduced load. “But as at today, because of the efforts you are making and that of the Government, we have six units running at full load and the other two are still available. The gas supply has been improving gradually; so as soon as the gas improves further we will add the other two”, he assured. He commended the Minister for the efforts he is also making to make funds available for Generation Companies like Omotosho disclosing that he just returned from Abuja where he had gone for a meeting and learnt of the efforts the Minister has made to improve their fund supply. On stability, which he also named as another major challenges, the Managing Director expressed delight that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was now working on it because, according to him, the Minister has given them a marching order to look at it. He added, however, “But that area has not been totally solved because we are still having some few tripping. Last week we still recorded some and this week I heard we’ve recorded one”, expressing joy that the level of tripping was reducing as work goes on. “We believe that in a short time from now that issue will also be resolved”, he said. He thanked the Minister for his intervention on the community issue adding, “The power supply to the host community is an issue that has been there for a long time. But happily about a month ago we drew the attention of the Hon. Minister to it and he has taken it up.  Presently the Niger Delta Power Holding Company is on it. A team visited me about a week ago to assess what is to be done and is being done”. He commended the Minister’s commitment to the “onerous task of providing light for all Nigerians”. After years of blackout in spite of playing host to two power stations (335 Megawatts Omotosho Phase I Power Plant now owned by Pacific Energy Limited and 500MW Megawatts Omotosho Phase II Power Plant developed by Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited), the Omotosho Community will soon be beneficiaries of electricity supply from the Power Plants. Earlier, while speaking with the staff of the company and members of the Omotosho Community at the premises of the company, Fashola disclosed that the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited, Mr Chiedu Ugbo has assured that the community would be hooked onto the power before the end of April. Fashola, who noted that issue of the local community supply was an inherited problem, explained further that it took some time to solve because government felt that the larger national interest of protecting the power plant transmission substation, commissioned in 2007, was very important just like the need to supply light to the community. The Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited had constructed a 33kV distribution line from the power plant substation to the Omotosho Community. However, it could not be connected because of concerns that distribution faults arising from the line as a consequence of abnormal load connections could damage the Power Transformer in the Power plant substation, which will adversely affect the power plant itself. Assuring the community that the issue was already being addressed, the Minister, said the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) had come to assess the situation and were doing what was necessary. He thanked the Omotosho Community for waiting and for forbearing, adding, “But help and solution is on the way”. Fashola, who described the decision by Pacific Energy Company Limited to invest in the Omotosho Phase 1 Plant as “a big statement of confidence by Nigerians in their economy”, expressed delight that the reality would provide a basis for true and factual reporting for the media. He said the facts as witnessed during the tour proved wrong the tendency of some sections of the media whom he said sometimes indulge in over-generalization that the companies that bought the nation’s power assets were not investing. The Minister declared, “I am happy that some of you the press men are here; because I hope that this will begin to provide the factual basis for your reporting; Because there has been too much generalization of what is happening and what is not happening and it is not helping the public to know the truth and facts from opinions”. “This was an asset when they bought it, as you have seen, some of the turbines were not operational. Today all the turbines are now operational and it means they did something. So it is not correct, as some of you are reporting, that they have not invested any money. So, I think you need to correct that based on your experience”, he said. He, however, explained that while the turbines have been fully repaired they, like the generators, needed fuel which, in this case, is gas adding, “The more gas we get, the more power we will get”. Fashola commended the President, the Vice President, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, the Managing Director NNPC and all of those who are involved in producing and supplying gas and all the private investors “for the work, the commitment that we have seen, the Legislators, the Senators, Members of the House of Representatives and all in the family”. “It is a family event not just our Ministry. Everybody is doing something and we want everybody to do more”, the Minister said adding that in order to achieve  success it was important that those who indulge in breaking the gas pipelines  desist from the act. He declared, “But we must also appeal to our brothers who are breaking the pipelines; because it is important for all of us to understand that we can fix this problem some of which we have seen and which we have solved. There will be no life without problems. Our responsibility is to confront them, engage them and find solutions to them”. Thanking the staff of the company, especially the Nigerian workers, whom he described as “the solution to our problem”, Fashola, who praised them for the work they are doing in the place, declared, “And on behalf of Mr. President I thank you. He continues to tell me to thank all of those who are helping to build Nigeria by working hard; he continues to tell me, ‘everywhere you go, thank them for me’ and I know you are qualified for that thanks from the President”. ...