Steady power supply

When former vice-president Atiku Abubakar suggested what he called “caustic power plants” as solution to the country's perennial problem of power supply, his theory was dismissed with a wave of the hand.
Atiku had in 2001 propounded the theory, which he said was responsible for the huge success recorded in the power sector by former President Ramons of Philipines.
Under the caustic power supply arrangement, Atiku suggested that the Federal Government should go to Enugu and other areas which have coal and build coal-fired power plants to serve those particular areas.
The government should also build hydro-power stations in areas with abundant water resources, while gas-fired power plants should be sited in areas with enormous gas resources.
The former vice president had maintained that by the time the government implemented all these projects, the whole country would have regular power supply.
According to him, the former president of Philipines adopted that system in his country to supply all the towns and villages with electricity during his tenure.
Atiku had also noted that so successful was this effort, such that by time the former president left office, any where his name was mentioned, the people shoutted "power" in appreciation of the regular power supply he provided while in office.
The government, Atiku lamented had ignored his advise and instead, embarked on the failed project of building gas-fired power plants across the country.
In view of this observation, it is however noted taht one area in the country that appears to have enjoyed regular power supply due to the so called caustic power supply arrangement is the Bonny Island in Rivers State.
It is ironical that while other parts of the country are in total darkness, the Bonny Kingdom, also in Nigeria has enjoyed 95-98 percent availability of electricity since the past six years through the efforts of ExxonMobil, Shell and Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG).
In Bonny, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and NLNG have gas turbines which provide electricity.
This power, which is supplied from the gas turbines are feed into the facilities of the Bonny Utility Company (BUC).
Consequently, BUC supply the power to homes and factories under an arrangement, which marvels observers.
Under this arrangement, electricity consumers pay money into the banks and receive credit, which they load into their electric metres.
The system is designed such that any attempt to tamper with the metre triggers off an alarm, which automatically disconnects the consumer from the power supply.
Again, if a consumer connects electricity direct from an electric pole without using the special metres provided by BUC, the entire customers using that pole will be disconnected by a special electric device installed on each pole.
With a workforce of 46, out of which 94 percent are from Bonny, BUC has successfully connected over 7, 800 households to electricity under this arrangement.
In fact, it is envisaged that in the next couple of months, the company will extend its services to the neigbouring towns, such as Finnima and others.
The benefits derived from inhabitants of Bonny by visitors and inhabitants of the area from the constant availability of power are enormous.
Old businesses prosper, while new businesses spring up daily as traders, artisans and other businesses relocate from Port Harcourt and Calabar to Bonny.
Michael Ugwu, a Shell staff resident in Port Harcourt cherishes his occasional trips to Bonny on official assignments.
He wishes he is resident in the area because of the regular power supply.
According to him, he would like to reside in Bonny but because the area is far from Port Harcourt and is also surrounded by water, it will be difficult for him to travel from there to his office in Port Harcourt on a daily basis.
Ugwu, who just relocated from the United Kingdom, leaving his family behind to pursue greener pastures, said his pleasant experience each time he visited Bonny always reminded him of his experience each time he visited his family in the UK.
He attributed this experience to availability of electricity, which makes life very comfortable.
Ignatius Ogbu, a community leader resident in Port Harcourt but also working with Shell said the day he visited Bonny, the constant power supply in the area almost tempted him to remain on the island to look for another job.
Ogbu, who is a community leader from Enugu State, maintained that no part of the country enjoyed 40 percent of what the people of Bonny Island were enjoying in terms of power supply.
Chikodili Ugwu, a businessman based in Bonny said the booming business activities in the area were due to constant power supply.
He observed that the constant power supply has made residents to forget the high cost of living experienced in the area as well as Bonny's difficult terrain.
Actually, house rents and prices of goods and services in Bonny are three times as high compared to what are paid in Port Harcourt.
Again, cars and other vehicles do not have direct access from Port Harcourt to Bonny as there are no roads or bridges linking the two towns.
Cars have to be conveyed on flying boats from Port Harcourt to Bonny at very exorbitant costs.
Most car owners resident in Bonny park their cars in Port Harcourt and their villages to avoid incurring these costs of transporting them by boats.
Chikodili Ugwu parks his car in Awka, Anambra State to avoid the troubles of moving it from Port Harcourt to Bonny without any access road or bridge.
Celestine Abah, a resident of Bonny whose family is in Jos, said the only regret he has is the high cost of living.
Abah, who works with one of the oilfield service firms, said the overwhelming presence of oil and gas workers in the kingdom pushed prices of goods and services to the roof top.
By and large, Bonny has distinguished itself as the only town in the country where electricity works effectively.
The one question now agitating the minds of Nigerians is: why can't the oil companies and other stakeholders replicate the Bonny experience in other parts of the country to ensure regular power supply?
Mario Canean, director of Bonny Utility Company described the company in a presentation a couple of years back, as having started as a $5 million infrastructure community support project.
Part of its mandate was to upgrade electrical distribution system, and replace stand-alone diesel driven generation by gas turbine generation from oil installations.
The company has a Utility Management Committee to oversee operation. Most analysts are impressed that a company which started with such a humble beginning could make so much impact on the lives of the people at a time when over $12 billion went down the drain in power generation without any positive result.
There is no doubt that the government has failed in the area of supply of adequate and affordable power to its citizens.
It is therefore imperative for Shell, ExxonMobil and NLNG to replicate the Bonny experience at least in other areas of their operations.