Oghara power plant on course, says contractor

By Emma AMAIZE, Asaba
CONTRARY to the widespread allegation that the multi-billion Delta State Government Independent Power Project (IPP) located at Oghara in Ethiope-West LGA, which contract was awarded last year to Dav-Notch Nigeria Limited has been abandoned, the company says the power plant is on course.

Chairman of the company and member of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei told Saturday Vanguard in an exclusive interview at Asaba, “I chuckle when people say that that Dav-Notch Nigeria Limited has abandoned the project and that we have collected 50 per cent mobilization and disappeared without doing anything, this is untrue”.

His words, “The minimum it will take to manufacture one turbine is between 14 to 18 months and the contract was awarded to Dav-Notch, June, last year. We have placed orders and work is going on.”

His words, “This is the kind of journalism Nigerians want. You (Vanguard) came all the way to Asaba to find out from us our own side of the story, not sitting down in your office and fabricating a story or reporting an allegation made by somebody without giving the other side opportunity to respond. There is nothing like sharing or looting money meant for the project, as has been alleged”.

“The contract awarded to us is for the building and purchase of two Rolls Royce gas turbine generators and installation, which is the first phase of the power plant and the company, is working very hard at the moment to complete the engineering part.

Let those who claimed  we have collected 50 per mobilization  go to the Delta State Ministry of Finance and confirm the terms of the contract, my entitlements,  what I am supposed to be paid,  what I have been paid and all that, and whether it is commensurate with the work done before they start complaining”, he said.

According to him, “I must say it is laughable because the building of a power plant falls under what we call an EPC project, which is Engineering, Procurement and Construction. Anywhere in the world, the first thing you do is not to go and start digging the soil, it is engineering and that takes 60 per cent of the building of the plant, you have another 25 per cent that goes into procurement and the least of it all is construction, which is about 15 per cent”.

“But what do you want to construct when you don’t even have a design because every detail must be taken into cognizance. You cannot do it hurriedly because it’s a plant that must be in operation for many years and running without hitches.

So, every little detail must be drawn out to the letter and then, you go through a whole lot of test before you can even commission the digging of the ground. Maybe, some people think the construction of a power plant is like buying a generator in the market and coming to install it”, he said.