Nigeria - President Jonathan To Appoint New Power Minister

President Goodluck Jonathan said on Wednesday in Abuja he would forward the names of new ministers of defence and power immediately the Senate resumed from recess on 22 September.

The President disclosed this at the State House at the inauguration of the reconstituted Presidential Action Committee on Power and Presidential Task Force on Power.

At the ceremony, which took place in the course of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Jonathan directed the Minister of State for Power, Mr Darius Ishaku, to take charge of the power ministry in the interim.

He said it was important to reconstitute the two committees on power so that the achievement recorded so far in the sector would not relapse.

The President set up the two bodies in 2010 to closely monitor and implement the Power Reform Agenda.

Mr Reynolds Dagogo-Jack of National Intergrated Power Project (NIPP) was appointed as the Chairman of the reconstituted Presidential Task Force on Power.

The body was hitherto chaired by the former Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, who resigned his appointment on ground of conflict of interest.

“We have done it this way because, the other time when Nnaji was the Chairman, The secretary was my special adviser; so there was a lot of conflict between two of them because they say two captains cannot drive a ship.

“This time around we just want one captain and others will work with him.’’

Members of the task force include Messrs Rumundakaa Wonodi, Olusola Akinniranye and Abdulganiyu Umar, the managing directors and chief executive officers of Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc; Transmission Company of Nigeria; and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company respectively.

Others are Mr Paul Umunna and Mr Oladele Amoda, the chief executive officers of Ugheli Power Plc and Eko Electricity Distribution Company respectively, as well as the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Mr James Olotu.

The MD of the Nigerian Gas Company, Mr Saidu Mohammed and the CEO of Geregu Power Plc, Mr Adeyemi Adenuga, are also members of the task force.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Dr Dere Awosika, will serve as the Secretary of the task force.

The Presidential Action Committee on Power will be chaired by Jonathan with Vice President Namadi Sambo as Deputy Chairman.

Members of the committee are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Ali Sali; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Mike Oghiadome.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke; Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr Emeka Wogu, are members.

Some other members of the committee are Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezzani Allison Madueke; Minister of National Planning, Dr Shamsudeen Usman; and the Chief Economic Adviser to the President.

The special adviser to the President on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation; the directors-general of the Bureau of Public Enterprises and Bureau of Public Procurement are also members of the committee.

Others are the Group Managing Director of NNPC and the Chairman of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission.

It will be recalled that the President, on June 21, relieved the former Minister of Defence, Dr Haliru Bello of his appointment.

The President is expected to name replacements for Haliru and Nnaji, who while in office, represented Kebbi and Enugu States in the cabinet respectively.