FRC blames AMCON for delaying 215mw power project in Kaduna
Kaduna – The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), has called on concern parties to quickly resolve crises in the ongoing 215 MW power project in Kaduna that led to its taking over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
Mrs Maryam Mohammed, the Commission’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics and 2019 Physical Verification Team leader for the North West Zone, stated this while inspecting the project at Kudenda, Kaduna State.
Mohammed specifically frowned at the role of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) for taking over the project even when the project was at 86 per cent completion with no outstanding payment.
The director was taken round the site at Kudenda, Kaduna, by Mr Sunny Okwedi, the project manager of ROCKSON Engineering, who are the contractors handling the project.
Okwedi had blamed the delay in completing the work within the 36 months timeline on the several years delay caused by series of bottle necks the contractors encountered before its take-off.
The FRC official, however, said at 86 per cent work had reached its final stage and should not have been taken over by AMCON as taking over the site had only stalled the work.
According to her, the action of AMCON, if not resolved would further delay the completion of the project meant to improve power supply for the benefit of Nigerians.
She blamed the delay that led to the late take-off of the project on poor planning by officials of the federal government who initially cited the project at Kachia Road on six hectares of land with no land for expansion.
She said the agency would invite the relevant parties involved in the project to get necessary briefs to enable it prepare a comprehensive report on the FRC findings for onward submission to the Federal Government.
Earlier during a verification meeting with officials of ROCKSON, its Manager said the project was delayed due to lack of funds from the Federal Government.
Okwedi said the 215 MW power project was being implemented by ROCKSON Engineering and General Electric (GE) at the contract sum of N6 billion and 135 million Euro with a timeline of 36 months.
He said the work was initiated and given to ROCKSON Engineering and GE in 2008 and the contract was signed in November 2009.
He said at the point of take-off of the project at the Kachia Road, it was realized that the six hectares of land for the project was too small and was within residential area of the city as it would be difficult to expand the project in future plan.
The project manager said the 215 MW power project was planned to be powered by Gas and the site was off track as the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Gas Trunk coming from Gereku in Kogi State was far from the site of the project.
“So acquiring new and suitable land of about 28 hectares and variation issues took time before the project take-off.
“Another challenge is the LPFO oil intended for lubricating the machines to be sourced from the Kaduna Refinishing and petrochemical company (KRPC) is not suitable for the machines already installed at the site.”
He said the work commenced at the new site in July 2010 but the variation and other issues were completely resolved in March 2017.
“And AMCON took over the site in 2018 with work at 86 per cent with all Mile stones paid.”
“While local content jobs on site was at 73 per cent payment. Now what remains is 27 per cent local content and 14 per cent foreign with most equipment on site or already imported, ” he said.
The project manager said AMCON had retrenched all the 130 local workers at the site with only about 30 mostly security guards remaining on site.
“So far nothing is happening at the site. But before the take over ROCKSON Engineering had provided reservation tanks for diesel which would be used as alternative to power the machines before the gas pipe lines are installed.
“Already two machines of 26.7 MW each out of the eight machines had been tested and are ready to generate energy.
“All the transformers including the ones to transmit the excess energy from Gurara are in place.
Peace remains key to achieving rapid
“What remains is laying the cables for evacuating the energy to Mando station among other installations.
AMCON needs to settle with Federal Ministry of Power so that the remaining work will be completed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no official of the Ministry of Power was at the site of the project when the FRC officials visited the place. (NAN)
