NNAJI ORDERS INDIAN FIRM TO VACATE GAS RIGHT-OF-WAY‏
Nnaji Orders Indian Firm to Vacate Gas Right-of-Way

From: Ikeogu Oke
Fri 8/17/12 4:24 PM


The Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, yesterday issued a 20-day ultimatum to an Indian firm, Ringardas Nigeria Limited, to dismantle its facility obstructing the right-of-way of a gas pipeline at Sapele power station.


“Move your facility out of the right-of-way in 20 days,” Nnaji told an official of the firm, which imports and processes bitumen, during their meeting at the facility very close to equipment belonging to the power station.


The official responded that there was a court injunction on the matter and that the facility was installed above the ground and not on the ground like the gas pipeline. To this, the minister expressed shock that anyone could apply for a court injunction, let alone obtain one in the country, to engage in such a patent illegality.


The minister expressed shock that the foreign official would be talking about an injunction even though the rules are quite clear that the right-of-way means that “nothing can be installed below, above or on the sides of the gas pipeline” by a specified margin which the Indian firm’s facility violates.


The minister’s visit followed the refusal of the firm to comply with his earlier directive to respect the right-of-way and desist from endangering the gas infrastructure and putting electricity supply to Nigerians under threat.


The directive was issued through a letter with Ref. No. FMP/HMP/002/vol1/25 dated August 3, 2012, and addressed by the minister to the Managing Director of the firm at its Ogorode office near Sapele power station.


The letter, titled “Re: Ringardas Obstruction of Main Gas Supply Piping to Sapele Power Station” reads: “The attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has been drawn to the fact that you put up an elaborate bitumen pump house squarely on top of the right-of-way of a 32-inch natural gas main supply pipeline supplying gas to Sapele Power Station …


“The said 32-inch pipeline developed multiple leaks on a 150-meter stretch and needs to be immediately repaired to avoid interruption in gas supply to the power station with its attendant negative impact on power generation in the country.


“Reports reaching my office recently indicate that several attempts by the CEO of the power station for you to remove your bitumen pump on the pipeline’s right-of-way to enable repairs to take place have all been in vain. It is equally shocking that you ignored the warning from [the] Nigeria Gas Company concerning risk and danger of fire outbreak that could result from your operation in view of the ruptured gas pipeline as well as the directive by the Honourable Minister of Environment.


“As you must be aware, the main thrust of the present government of [President] Goodluck Jonathan is to reform the power sector. Your act of obstructing a gas pipeline’s right-of-way and thereby frustrating the necessary repairs is therefore a clear act of sabotage on the reform agenda of the FGN.


You are hereby directed to remove your bitumen pump from the aforesaid 32-inch gas pipeline’s right-of-way within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter to enable necessary repairs to be effected. You are further directed to remove all your facilities from the FGN property within 7 days of the receipt of this letter.


I am to put you on notice that failure to remove your facilities will leave the FGN with no option than to deploy resources at its disposal to remove your illegal structures.”


In a related development, the minister during a visit to Ughelli power station on the same day commissioned Unit GT 18 of Delta IV of the station restored as part of the effort of the Power Sector Reform to recover installed capacities from generating stations nationwide.


The newly commissioned generating plant added 130 megawatts to the station’s power generation capacity, bringing it to a total of 360 megawatts.

Hmmm. Hope the government will achieve the aim of stabilizing the power.