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Power Grid Collapses 28 Times in Nine Months

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  • Power Grid Collapses 28 Times in Nine Months

The nation’s power grid has collapsed 28 times this year, the highest since 2011, as the quantum of spinning reserve aimed at forestalling such occurrence remains low.

The development, which was exacerbated by the upsurge in militant attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta that affected gas-fired power plants, worsened the failure being experienced by households and business owners across the country.

Industry data obtained by our correspondent on Friday specifically showed that 22 total collapses and six partial collapses were recorded in March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November and December.

In the whole of 2014 and 2015, the grid collapsed 13 and 10 times respectively, with four partial collapses each.

The latest total system collapse recorded this year was on December 4, and three collapses occurred last month, the report stated.

In June, the grid recorded five total collapses and three partial collapses, the highest in the year. Seven collapses – six were total and one partial – occurred in May.

Three total collapses occurred in April, while two total collapses and one partial collapse were recorded in March. A total of three collapses were recorded in July, September and October.

The total national power generation stood at 2,876.6 megawatts as of 6am on Friday, down from a peak of 5,074.7MW on February 2.

Ten of the nation’s 26 power plants did not generate any megawatts of electricity on Friday.

They were Olorunsogo II, Ibom Power, Alaoji, Afam IV & V, Odukpani NIPP, Trans-Amadi, AES, ASCO, Rivers IPP and Gbarain.

Generation from Egbin, the nation’s biggest power station located in Lagos, stood at 161MW on Friday, down from 1,085MW on March 15 this year.

The increasing gas constraint largely occasioned by recent attacks on pipelines in the Niger Delta has left over 3,500MW of the nation’s power generation capacity idle.

The nation generates the bulk of its electricity from gas-fired power plants, while output from hydro-power plants makes up about 30 per cent of the total generation.

Generation from two of the nation’s hydro-power plants, Shiroro and Jebba, has reduced significantly in recent days.

Shiroro’s output fell to 150MW on Friday, down from 450MW a week ago; Jebba generated 384MW on Friday, compared to 471MW on December 2.

Out of the six power stations meant to provide spinning reserves, only one had actual reserve of 17.4MW as of 6am on Friday, the data showed.

The power stations are Egbin, Kainji, Delta, Olorunsogo II, Geregu II, and Omotosho II, with combined reserve capacity of 155MW.

Spinning reserve is the generation capacity that is online but unloaded and that can respond within 10 minutes to compensate for generation or transmission failure.

The reserve capacity and actual reserve of Egbin and Kainji stood at zero as of Friday, while the capacity and actual reserve of Delta were 40MW and zero, respectively.

Olorunsogo II and Geregu II had reserve capacity of 40MW and 35MW, respectively; while their actual reserves stood at zero.

The actual reserve at Omotosho II stood at 17.4MW out of a reserve capacity of 40MW, the data showed.

Explaining some of the causes of system collapse, the Chief Executive Officer, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Oladele Amoda, said, “Sometimes, if a machine trips at a generation station and takes out a lot of load, it can cause it. At times, there could be problems on the transmission line. If any of the lines trips off, then there will be a load swing, which will destabilise the system.

“We are supposed to have a generator that is just running on standby so that if there is any chunk of load that is out of the system suddenly, that generator will just take it up and balance the load.”

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Government

Senate Suspends Senator Abdul Ningi for 3 Months Over Budget Padding Allegations

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Abdul-Ahmed-Ningi

The Senate has announced the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi for three months following his allegations of budget padding to the tune of N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget.

Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central and chairs the Senate Committee on Population, had made the claims in a recent interview with the Hausa service of the BBC.

During a plenary session, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, raised a motion to address Ningi’s allegations, citing the urgent need to address what he termed as “false allegations.”

The transcript of Ningi’s interview was read on the Senate floor, prompting deliberation on the appropriate action to take.

Initially, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim proposed a 12-month suspension for Ningi, but Senator Chris Ekpeyong moved to reduce it to six months.

Eventually, Senator Garba Maidoki amended the motion further, suggesting a three-month suspension.

The amended motion was put to a voice vote, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the decision to suspend Ningi for three months.

Following the ruling, Ningi was escorted out of the Senate chamber by the Sergeants-at-arms.

The suspension comes amidst division within the Senate over Ningi’s claims, with some senators disowning his allegations and calling for a thorough investigation.

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Ekiti Governor Unveils Multi-Billion Naira Relief Programmes Amid Economic Crisis

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Biodun Oyebanji

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, has announced a comprehensive relief package aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by the people of the state.

The relief programs encompass various sectors to cushion the impact of the economic downturn.

One of the key initiatives entails clearing salary arrears amounting to over N2.7 billion owed to both State and Local Government workers.

This move signifies the government’s commitment to addressing the financial burdens faced by its workforce.

Furthermore, Governor Oyebanji has approved a substantial increase of N600 million per month in the subvention of autonomous institutions, including the Judiciary and tertiary institutions.

This augmentation is intended to enable these institutions to implement wage awards in alignment with State and Local Government workers’ salaries.

In addition to addressing salary arrears, the relief programs extend to pensioners, with the approval of payments totaling N1.5 billion for two months’ pension arrears.

Moreover, an increase in the monthly gratuity payment to state pensioners and local government pensioners will provide additional financial support, totaling N200 million monthly.

The relief initiatives also encompass agricultural and small-scale business sectors.

The allocation of funds for food production and livestock transformation projects underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing food security and economic sustainability at the grassroots level.

Governor Oyebanji emphasized that these relief programs are part of the state’s concerted efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of the economic downturn and foster shared prosperity.

The comprehensive nature of the initiatives reflects a proactive approach towards addressing the challenges faced by Ekiti State residents.

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President Tinubu Orders Immediate Settlement of N342m Electricity Bill for Presidential Villa

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President Bola Tinubu has directed the prompt settlement of a N342 million outstanding electricity bill owed by the Presidential Villa to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

This move comes in response to the reconciliation of accounts between the State House Management and the AEDC.

The AEDC had earlier threatened to disconnect electricity services to the Presidential Villa and 86 Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) over a total outstanding debt of N47.20 billion as of December 2023.

Contrary to the initial claim by the AEDC that the State House owed N923 million in electricity bills, the Presidency clarified that the actual outstanding amount is N342.35 million.

This discrepancy underscores the importance of accurate accounting and reconciliation between entities.

In a statement signed by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency affirmed the commitment to settle the debt promptly.

Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila assured that the debt would be paid to the AEDC before the end of the week.

The directive from the Presidency extends beyond the State House, as Gbajabiamila urged other MDAs to reconcile their accounts with the AEDC and settle their outstanding electricity bills.

The AEDC, on its part, issued a 10-day notice to the affected government agencies to settle their debts or face disconnection.

This development highlights the importance of financial accountability and responsible management of public utilities.

It also underscores the necessity for government entities to fulfill their financial obligations to service providers promptly, ensuring uninterrupted services and avoiding potential disruptions.

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