NaijaPositive.com

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Cooking Gas Price to Crash Soon, Says FG

This Day
Juliana Taiwo
30 July 2007

Consumers of cooking gas in the country would soon heave a sigh of relief as the Federal Government is set to implement various strategies aimed at bringing down the price, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, Alhaji Sadiq Mahmud disclosed at the weekend.

Mahmud said this while briefing the three new Ministers in the Ministry of Energy at the NNPC Towers in Abuja. The three new Ministers in the Energy Ministry are: Mrs. Fatima Balaraba Ibrahim (Power), Mr. Henry Odein Ajumogobia (Petroleum), and Emmanuel Olatunde Odusina (Gas). He said that only recently, the Board Members of the Nigeria LNG held a meeting as part of efforts to tackle the domestic gas challenges in order to bring down the price of the product.

The Permanent Secretary said the move had become necessary following the total dependence on firewood by rural dwellers for their cooking which has led to deforestation with the result devastating on the environment, noting that desert encroachment is now about six kilometres per annum.

Mahmud said the Oil and Gas industry is "quite an extensive and very important sector" with large potentials, which explains the rationale behind the appointment of three Ministers of State with the President as the substantive Minister of Energy.

"In the power sector we are looking at generating 25,000MW but we are still hovering between 3,000. In petroleum, even though oil was discovered in 1958 we are yet to get to our desired level and the challenges are daunting. In gas, our gas resource is bigger than the rest of the world with Nigeria being next to Venezuela . It is of utmost importance that we develop our gas resources", he said.

He said about six operators in gas will be choosen and the main idea is to crash the prices of gas. Energy sector provides 80 percent of our economy's income and fortunately the President as declared it an emergency so that is why as faithful subordinates and as civil servants and professionals we will make sure your stay impact positively on our sector.

He told the Ministers that he and Directors in the Ministry are ready to take instructions from the Honourable Ministers, while they in turn are prepared to offer the necessary advice that would move the policy thrust of the Federal Government in the sector forward. The Ministers of Power (Mrs. Ibrahim), Petroleum (Ajumogo-bia) and Gas (Odusina) who spoke in turns said that they would work to harness their resources to the benefit of all Nigerians since the industry is the bedrock of the country's economy.

Ajumogobia said that the handover notes given to them were a rich compendium which will enable them have a grasp of the nitty-gritty in the sector. "We are all new to this business but we are all bringing fresh perspectives to the sector. What we need is a roadmap on a way forward and your cooperation of course".

Ibrahim however stressed that all three of them having come from different background would rely on the corporation of the staff and experts in the ministry to get results. "The importance of the Energy Ministry cannot be overemphasized. Nigerians are very impatient people who are interested in seeing results within a short time. The sector has been erratic but we must deliver. Power is strategic without which nothing functions in this country. It is the vehicle for economic development. It is not going to be busy but we must try to fix it," she said.

Odushina who incidentally is a retiree of the NNPC insists the team must be part of those that will make things happen. "The President Yar 'Adua's administration has a seven point agenda. This sector contributes 95 per cent to the revenue of the nation. In order to accelerate the execution of these policies we are going to ensure things are done as soon as possible," he said.

Copyright © 2007 This Day

_________________
May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm