Olorunsogo power plant to start operation in November

The federal government yesterday said it would deliver an additional 750 mega watts of electricity to the national grid from the multi-million dollar Olorunsogo Phase 11 National Integrated Power (NIPP) by November this year.

The construction cost of the Olorunsogo NIPP is pegged at about $600 million by the federal government.

Other onging NIPPs are Omotosho, Ondo State; Ihovbo, Edo state; Alaoje, Abia state; Egbema, Imo state; Gbaran, Bayelsa state; Calabar, Cross River state; Omoku, Rivers state; Geregu, Kogi state and Sapele, Delta state.

Fielding questions from journalists after a working tour of the project, in Olorunsogo, Ogun state, Vice President Nnamadi Sambo said the government was committed to delivering stable electricity supply to Nigerians before the end of President Goodluck Jonathan's administration.

"In another six months from now, the entire project would be completed and have 750MW added to the national grid," he told journalists.

Imo Poll - Police Deploy 10,000 Men

The inspector-general of police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, has deployed over 10,000 policemen and women for today's supplementary poll holding in four local government areas in Imo State.

The areas where election would hold are Ngor-Okpala, Oguta, Mbaitoli, Ohaji-Egbema and Orji ward in Owerri North LGA.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, the representative of the IG and deputy inspector-general in charge of the South East, Mrs. Ivy Okoronkwo, flanked by AIG zone 9, Mr. Mike Abass and two other commissioners of police, said the number is made up of anti- riot personnel, anti-terrorism squad (ATS), conventional policemen and anti-bomb squad.

She disclosed that sister security agencies would also provide a good number of their men to complement the efforts of the police.

DIG Okoronkwo, who is also in-charge of the security for the election, assured that adequate measures have been taken to ensure a secure, free and fair supplementary election in the state.

She listed the measures to include restriction of vehicular movements on Thursday from 10pm to 6am and today from 8am to 10pm, though it excluded those on essential services and other duties relating to the conduct of the elections. Political office holders were barred from visiting polling stations accompanied by their security aides. They would also not be allowed the use of vehicles with tinted glasses, covered plate numbers and provocative inscription or slogan.

FG urged to proscribe NYSC programme

governorship aspirant in Delta State, Mr Sunny Onuesoke, has enjoined the Federal Government to proscribe the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme.

Onuesoke who stated this in a chat with newsmen, yesterday, said the essence of the scheme had been defeated.

He decried a situation where corps members posted to the Northern part of the country were often target once there was crisis in the states they were posted to serve their father land.

Lamenting that the Southern part of the country had lost over 500 of their children, who were posted to serve in the North in the last 20 years, he described the actions of those behind the recent post-election crisis in Bauchi and Kaduna States as barbaric and inhuman.

He urged the Federal Government to take a hard stance against those behind the mayhem, which claimed the lives of corps members posted to the North.

Nass Power Game - Jonathan, PDP Back Mark

Abuja — Senate President David Mark and key officers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) returned from Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State yesterday with assurance from President Goodluck Jonathan and national leaders of the PDP that the zoning status quo in the National Assembly would be retained.

Jonathan had invited the Senate president, members of the National Working Committee of the party and some members of the Board of Trustees for a crucial meeting over the unfolding power game at the National Assembly.


The meeting, according to an insider, was informed by the clash of interests of the party leaders across the six geopolitical zones. While the South-East governors and the party chieftains from the zone were said to have strongly canvassed having the office of the Senate president or the speaker of the House of Representatives, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other leaders of the South-West zone of the party insisted that the zoning status quo should be retained.

Also barring any last minute alteration in the existing status quo in the House, Muraina Ajibola (PDP Oyo) may replace Dimeji Bankole as the speaker.

However, one of the national officers of the PDP, who attended the meeting in Obudu, told LEADERSHIP last night that Jonathan and the NWC of the PDP have resolved that the status quo in the National Assembly offices be retained.