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Power Reform: Institute Graduates 243 Engineers
The National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) yesterday in Abuja graduated 243 engineers in the three key areas of the power sector.
Director General of NAPTIN Mr. Reuben Okeke said the graduates studied programmes in three critical areas of Transmission, Generation and Distribution as the nation was striving to boost the improvement of power supply in the country.
According to him, the institute graduated 92 students in Generation Engineering, 79 in Transmission and 72 engineers in Distribution.
Okeke explained that this was the first set of graduate engineers who had undergone a rigorous 12 month skills development programme in the three areas of the electricity production chain.
He said that NAPTIN Graduate Skills Development Programme (NGSDP), which started in September 2012 received over 1,530 applications while only 243 applicants were eventually admitted by the institute.
Okeke expressed his appreciation to nine state governments which sponsored some of the candidates in the programme.
He listed these state governments as those of Anambra, Bornu, Ebonyi, Kano, Katsina, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto and Yobe states and explained that the training was to ensure that privatisation of the power sector was not just to handover assets to investors but to a crop of trained professionals.
Okeke said that NAPTIN was at present collaborating with National Universities Commission to ensure it strengthens its training capabilities by partnering with some Nigerian universities.
He added that the German Government under the Nigeria- German Energy Support Programme would soon complete the development of a 25 KVA Wind / Solar Hybrid Renewable Demonstration plant at Kainji Training Centre.
According to him, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency recently granted the sum of 16,000 dollars to NAPTIN to study power loss reduction technologies adding that the institute was ready to share the outcome of that study with the new core owners of electricity assets in the country.
Okeke expressed appreciation to President Goodluck Jonathan for his encouragement and financial support to the organisation.
Mr Ilobe Mba and Mr Nura Mohammed, who scored 83 per cent and 82 per cent in Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, respectively received awards as the best graduating students.
The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, in his remarks said that capacity training was the key area he wanted to develop in the power industry.
“Without engineers, things like motor cars, electricity, telecommunication and even medical doctors will not do their work very well,” he said.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Godknows Igali, said that the graduating students were the change agents in the country.
He said that the ministry and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission only make policies for the sector while the engineers were the ones that implement these policies and called for more sponsors for this kind of programmes.
The Chairman, House Committee on Power, Mr. Patrick Ikhariele said that the National Assembly was still ready to ensure that the NAPTIN got the required funds to train its students.
Mr Dagogo Jack, the Chairman, Presidential Taskforce on Power, said that the organisation would continue to assist NAPTIN in executing its mandate to ensure that the nation’s power sector stabilized.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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