Rivers Wins Afam Power Bid…Plans N40bn Amusement Park …Moves To Induct 13,000 Teachers, Monday

Rivers State Governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi,(right) Managing Director of Raffoul Construction, Elie Raffoul (middle) and the State Deputy Governor Engr. Tele Ikuru, inspecting the site of the set of bridges and roads that will connect Woji-Elelenwo-Akpajo and Abuloma with a seur to the East-West Road in the outskirts of Port Harcourt being constructed by the Amaechi administration, Wednesday

Taleveras Group, a Consortium comprising Rivers State Government and three foreign companies, on Wednesday emerged as the preferred bidder with a 260.5 million dollars offer for Afam Power Plc.
The Acting Director, Electric Power Department, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Alhaji Ibrahim Babagana,  announced this in Abuja at the financial bid opening for Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company and AFAM Power Plc.
Our correspondent reports that Taleveras Group and Tes Power Limited bade for the AFAM Power Plc, with the former emerging as preferred bidder and the latter, as reserve bidder.
Taleveras Group emerged as the company with the highest offer, above the reserve price, while Tes Power Ltd emerged as the reserved bidder.
Also, NorthWest Power Ltd, a consortium comprising Dantata Investment and Securities Company emerged as the preferred bidder for the Kaduna Distribution Company out of the six companies that bade.
Babagana declared NorthWest Power Ltd as the preferred bidder out of the six companies that bade, with the highest Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) loss reduction figure of 29.26 per cent.
He also announced LEDA Consortium, with an ATC&C of 26.71 per cent, as the reserved bidder.
ATC&C loss reduction is the basis for selection of preferred bidder instead of highest price offer.
The consortiums that lost out on the bids are Axis Power Distribution Ltd, NAHCO Consortium, INCAR Power Ltd and Copper Belt Consortium Ltd.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Technical Committee, National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Mr Atedo Peterside, said the committee asked those who want to buy the companies at $45 billion to come forward and they did.
“So, whoever wins is paying that same price. They are not competing on price. They are competing on loss reduction.
“What the person with the highest ATC&C is saying is that ‘when I come in, I will reduce losses in power generation and distribution’’’.
“In case you don’t know, a large quantity of power this country generates is lost between generation and distribution. So, they are promising to reduce these losses.
“But for AFAM, the companies competed on highest price offering because they are buying an asset,’’ he said.
Peterside said the companies that emerged preferred and reserved bidders would be presented at the next NCP meeting, headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo.
“It is the council that will deliberate and announce the final result in a matter of days,’’ he said.
Earlier, Mr Benjamin Dikki, the Director General of BPE, had said that Wednesday’s event was a testimony of the success of the reforms in the power sector.
Dikki said private sector participation in the exercise should bring about higher generation capacities through the provision of more efficient and cost-effective power stations and improvement in the distribution sector.
He also said that there would be improvement in power billing and collection mechanism, distribution networks and so on.
“Government still has 40 per cent in the privatised companies; out of the shares some will be allotted to the states that have invested in the distribution companies.
“Once the percentage is determined, the balance will be taken to the capital market where Nigerians can also reap from the dividends of privatisation,’’ Dikki said.
Meanwhile, workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) are to start receiving their severance packages from this week.
The Director General of the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Benjamin Dikki, made the announcement on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening of bids for privatisation of the Afam Generation Company Plc and the Kaduna Distribution Plc.
Dikki said that payment of the severance package was in preparation for the conclusion of the privatisation of the power sector.
“We have resolved all labour issues with the staff of the PHCN. What remains now is the payment for their severance benefits.
“And I know the payment would start before the end of this week or early next week.
“We have submitted all documents to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for payment,’’ he said.
Nebo said that a proper audit of the payment processes, which delayed the final disbursement of funds to the workers, had been concluded.
Meanwhile, a new amusement park project labeled ‘’Rivers Bongaland’’ may commence before the end of the year.
The project will cost about N40billion and is modeled after the Disney World in the United States of America and will be implemented through a Public /Private Partnership(PPP) with the collaboration of some  Rivers People in Diaspora according to one of the partners, Tonye Horsfall.
Horsfall told newsmen Wednesday in Port Harcourt that already some partners from Hong Kong have shown interest, but that the delay in commencement of work was a result of the current political crisis rocking the state.
He further said that the political impasse was also delaying the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for the project.
“ It is something that will bring the world together and you know tourism is the next oil we have. Tourism is what brings money to every country and Rivers State has all it takes to have a tourism village’’ Horsfall said.
The park, he further revealed, consists of a five star hotel, a three star hotel, boat regatta and other amusement facilities for both adults and children, adding that the state government is to provide seed fund and land.
He stated that Rivers people in Diaspora were interested in boosting the tourism potentials of the state, while calling on the state government to incorporate them in the promotion of the annual Rivers Carnival.
In a similar vein, another investor, Mr Peter Yobo has said the group was ready to partner with the state government in boosting housing provision.
Mr Yobo posited that the state government has already directed that the team conduct a feasibility study  on the project, stating that it was being done in collaboration with American Building System International  Lukor Steel, the second largest producer of steel in the United States.
He disclosed that the company has commenced work in Abuja, Calabar, where they are building some units of houses.
Calling on the state government to provide land for the scheme, he believed that if the project is approved it would help civil servants and other middle- income group in owning their own houses.
He maintained that the project would lead to technological transfer and generate employment for the young people of the state.
In a related development, the 13,000 teachers recently recruited by the Rivers State Government to boost its manpower base in schools across the state will have their induction ceremony on Monday 5, August 2013.
Sources from the state Ministry of Education say that the ceremony, which holds at the Seashell Model Primary Schools Port Harcourt, is part of efforts by the government to properly groom the newly recruited teachers with a view to preparing them for the task ahead.
It is not immediately known if the teachers will be presented with their appointment letters during the induction ceremony but the source further said that the ceremony will be preceded by the posting of those affected to their various schools.
The permanent secretary, Ministry of Education, Port Harcourt, Mr Richard Ofuru confirmed the induction ceremony to The Tide in his office but declined to give further details.
It would be recalled that of the 13,000 teachers, 10,000 are indigenes while 3,000 are non-indigenes who were recruited through a competitive transparent and rigorous examination conducted by a team of world class consultants and experts.
It would also be recalled that the recruitment exercise, which was in line with the recent declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector by the state Chief Executive will improve the quality of teaching in schools as well as make the state educational system second to none in the country, owing to the quality of the recruited teachers.
Meanwhile, the newly recruited teachers have expressed their readiness to participate actively in the induction ceremony.
A cross section of those who spoke to The Tide under condition of anonymity also said that  they were anxiously waiting for the day when appointment letters will be given to them.