Ndokwa Professionals

PRESS BRIEFING BY HON. OSSAI NICHOLAS OSSAI MEMBER REPRESENTING NDOKWA/UKWUANI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF DELTA STATE AT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE NEED FOR PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI GCFR TO URGENTLY INTERVANE IN THE STEP DOWN OF THE INDEPENDENT POWER PLANT (IPP) LOCATED AT OKPAI IN NDOKWA/UKWUANI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, DELTA STATE ON THE 15TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2015.

Protocol
It is with utmost sense of responsibility that I elect to address you today on the need for President Muhammadu Buhari’s intervention on the burning issue of the step down of the Independent Power Project (IPP) located at Okpai in my Constituency, Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency, Delta State which I represent at the National Assembly.
Gentlemen of the press, it is important to note that Ndokwa nation is the second largest ethnic nationality in Delta State and a major oil producing community with over 2 billion barrels of proven crude oil and 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas deposit and home to the first Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Nigeria.
Commissioned in April 2005, the Independent Power Plant is a joint venture project between the Federal Government and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC). This multi-billion Dollar project is the first of its kind in Nigeria, and currently it generates 480MW of electricity which is enjoyed in 9 states including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Ironically, 10 years down the line, Okpai, the community hosting the facility and its environs wallow in total darkness, a situation comparable to the proverbial man who lives
at the river bank yet, washes his hands with spittle. The daily sight of the environmental destruction as a result of the operational activities of the Plant which the people live with makes it even more painful.
It was with great excitement and expectations when we received the news of Federal Government’s plan to build the IPP in Okpai but these expectations had been dashed over the years due to the refusal of the principal parties to step down power for the benefit of the host community and its environs despite the presidential directive to this effect by our former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo during its commissioning in 2005.
It is also heart-breaking that the terms of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report which clearly provides for the stepping down of 50MW out of the 480MW for the benefit of the local community and communities within 50km radius was not respected by Agip, the operating company.


For the 10years since the IPP started operation and with the deliberate disregard for the presidential directive to step down power for the host community and EIA provision to step down power for the benefit of the immediate host communities, there have been series of peaceful agitations to step down power by various youth bodies including the community leaders as well as the traditional rulers.
Notable among these youth bodies are Ndokwa Neku Union Youth Wing, Ndokwa Youth Congress (NYC) Federated Union of Ndokwa Students (FUNS) and Pages Group International (PGI). The Organised Ndokwa Effort (ONE) and the Ndokwa Leaders of Thought have also been consistent in the peaceful struggle.
The struggle came to a climax in September, 2014 when a joint delegation of personalities consisting of our respected royal fathers, members of the National Assembly, Organised Ndokwa Effort and representatives of Ndokwa Youth Council visited Prof. Chinedu Nebo and Amb. Godknows Igali, the Minister and the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power respectively. At the meeting, approval for the step down was made and was earmarked to be included in 2015 budget which was not done.

The delay and inability of Agip and the federal government to step down the transformer to provide electricity for the people is generating a lot of tension in the land with these
Youth bodies giving a 21 day ultimatum, effective, 27th September 2015 to the authorities concerned to step down the facility or they shut it down.
Following the ultimatum by the Youth bodies to the authorities concerned, I swiftly brought the issue to the floor of the House through a motion and Resolutions were made. These Resolutions have been circulated to the concerned Agencies and I urge them to, as a matter of urgency, respect the Resolutions as passed by the House.
I sincerely call on President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR to intervene in this matter to enable the facilitation of the step down of the IPP for the benefit of the host community and its environs who have borne the brunt of the environmental degradations occasioned by the establishment of the IPP for 10 years without enjoying the benefits of the facility.

I thank you for giving me audience.
HON. OSSAI NICHOLAS OSSAI, MEMBER REPRESENTING NDOKWA/UKWUANI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF DELTA STATE AT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ndokwa Professionals We are the Ndokwa Professionals in Diaspora. The responsibility of this group is to project the image of Ndokwa nation worldwide.

PRESS BRIEFING BY HON. OSSAI NICHOLAS OSSAI MEMBER REPRESENTING NDOKWA/UKWUANI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF DELTA STATE AT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE NEED FOR PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI GCFR TO URGENTLY INTERVANE IN THE STEP DOWN OF THE INDEPENDENT POWER PLANT (IPP) LOCATED AT OKPAI IN NDOKWA/UKWUANI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, DELTA STATE ON THE 15TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2015.

Protocol
It is with utmost sense of responsibility that I elect to address you today on the need for President Muhammadu Buhari’s intervention on the burning issue of the step down of the Independent Power Project (IPP) located at Okpai in my Constituency, Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency, Delta State which I represent at the National Assembly.
Gentlemen of the press, it is important to note that Ndokwa nation is the second largest ethnic nationality in Delta State and a major oil producing community with over 2 billion barrels of proven crude oil and 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas deposit and home to the first Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Nigeria.
Commissioned in April 2005, the Independent Power Plant is a joint venture project between the Federal Government and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC). This multi-billion Dollar project is the first of its kind in Nigeria, and currently it generates 480MW of electricity which is enjoyed in 9 states including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Ironically, 10 years down the line, Okpai, the community hosting the facility and its environs wallow in total darkness, a situation comparable to the proverbial man who lives
at the river bank yet, washes his hands with spittle. The daily sight of the environmental destruction as a result of the operational activities of the Plant which the people live with makes it even more painful.
It was with great excitement and expectations when we received the news of Federal Government’s plan to build the IPP in Okpai but these expectations had been dashed over the years due to the refusal of the principal parties to step down power for the benefit of the host community and its environs despite the presidential directive to this effect by our former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo during its commissioning in 2005.
It is also heart-breaking that the terms of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report which clearly provides for the stepping down of 50MW out of the 480MW for the benefit of the local community and communities within 50km radius was not respected by Agip, the operating company.

For the 10years since the IPP started operation and with the deliberate disregard for the presidential directive to step down power for the host community and EIA provision to step down power for the benefit of the immediate host communities, there have been series of peaceful agitations to step down power by various youth bodies including the community leaders as well as the traditional rulers.
Notable among these youth bodies are Ndokwa Neku Union Youth Wing, Ndokwa Youth Congress (NYC) Federated Union of Ndokwa Students (FUNS) and Pages Group International (PGI). The Organised Ndokwa Effort (ONE) and the Ndokwa Leaders of Thought have also been consistent in the peaceful struggle.
The struggle came to a climax in September, 2014 when a joint delegation of personalities consisting of our respected royal fathers, members of the National Assembly, Organised Ndokwa Effort and representatives of Ndokwa Youth Council visited Prof. Chinedu Nebo and Amb. Godknows Igali, the Minister and the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power respectively. At the meeting, approval for the step down was made and was earmarked to be included in 2015 budget which was not done.

The delay and inability of Agip and the federal government to step down the transformer to provide electricity for the people is generating a lot of tension in the land with these
Youth bodies giving a 21 day ultimatum, effective, 27th September 2015 to the authorities concerned to step down the facility or they shut it down.
Following the ultimatum by the Youth bodies to the authorities concerned, I swiftly brought the issue to the floor of the House through a motion and Resolutions were made. These Resolutions have been circulated to the concerned Agencies and I urge them to, as a matter of urgency, respect the Resolutions as passed by the House.
I sincerely call on President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR to intervene in this matter to enable the facilitation of the step down of the IPP for the benefit of the host community and its environs who have borne the brunt of the environmental degradations occasioned by the establishment of the IPP for 10 years without enjoying the benefits of the facility.

I thank you for giving me audience.