Monday 30 December 2013

Daily Manna: As The Old Year Exit! Tuesday 31, December 2013

Daily Manna: As The Old Year Exit!
Tuesday 31, December 2013
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 7:1-12

KEY VERSE: “And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. Then Samuel…called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us” (1 Samuel 7:10,12).

An American businessman in Boston once declared, “Before I die, I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I’m gonna climb Mount Sinai. And when I’m up there I’m gonna read the Ten Commandments aloud at the top of my voice!” A listener, Mark Twain quipped, “I got a better idea. Stay in Boston and keep them”. In today’s text, we note Samuel’s directive to backsliding Israel. Their prompt obedience really set the stage for the LORD Jehovah to proof His power in their midst by comprehensively dealing with and discomfiting the enemies (the Philistines) that rose against them.

How we need to renew our consecration to obey God unconditionally! We suffer and totter miserably when our obedience is incomplete. We come short of God’s glory when we fail to acknowledge His goodness and mercies and how He has seen us through a most challenging year. Even so, Samuel’s designation of the place of sacrifice as “Ebenezer…hitherto hath the LORD helped us” is a fitting acknowledgement of God’s manifold mercies to an undeserving people over the ages.

The Philistines, no matter how formidable, are not strong enough to defeat the true believer who lives by the unchanging standard of God’s word. Obedience, a song writer penned, brings a blessing. A grateful heart before God opens up a floodgate of blessings from the Most High.

As we bid the year 2013 goodbye and stand at the threshold of a new year, how we need to fully obey the Lord with all our hearts and put away every form of iniquity and idolatry from our lives so that the desired victories for 2014 will not elude us. And when we fully obey God and follow His will, we must learn to break forth into praises when enemies harass us. God will surely see us through in the new year.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: His grace will see you through.

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Daily Manna: Odour Of Sweet Smell. Monday 30, December 2013

Daily Manna: Odour Of Sweet Smell
Monday 30, December 2013
TEXT: PSALM 100:1-5

KEY VERSE: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4).

The speaker in a convention attended by a quadriplegic Joni Eareckson Tada (who cannot walk because of a diving accident she had at age seventeen), urged everyone to kneel to worship God. Joni began to cry being the only one unable to do that. With tearful eyes, she said, “Lord Jesus, I can’t wait for the day when I will rise up on resurrected legs. The first thing I will do then is to drop on grateful, glorified knees and worship you.”

God inhabits the praises of His children (Psalm 22:3). The Psalmist was mindful of this truth when in our text he calls on us to “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.” God deserves our praise for His greatness. He is the very foundation of our existence and is infinitely most powerful. He is greater than all things man has ever venerated. The Creator and Manager of all nature and the Deliverer of the helpless is most worthy to receive all glory, honour and praise as best as we possibly can muster. Many are the benefits you have enjoyed from the Lord; without Him, you would have been a victim of war, natural disaster, accident, assassination, ritual murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorist attack, etc. Perhaps, you may even have been dead before now.

We dishonor God when we show by the way we speak, look or act, that we are ungrateful to Him maybe as a result of present pain or challenges of life. But if we learn to praise and appreciate God for what He has done and promised to do, He will do much more for us. We should learn to worship God for the redemption benefits we are enjoying through Christ. His Kingship, divine and eternal attributes should make us bow our hearts and bend the knees to worship the Almighty God. Let us then come with pure hearts and give Him all adoration and praise. Make it a habit to constantly praise and venerate the King of kings and Lord of lords.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Praise is the ingredient which moves God to rend the heavens.

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Wednesday 25 December 2013

Daily Manna: Knowledge Of His Will. Thursday 26, December 2013

Daily Manna: Knowledge Of His Will
Thursday 26, December 2013
TEXT: COLOSSIANS 1:9-19

KEY VERSE: “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9).

Bilquis Sheikh shared with us her conversion and life experience in her book “I dare to call Him Father”. Bilquis was a devoted Muslim from a prominent family living in Pakistan in the 1960’s. In her deeper search into the Koran to find hope and meaning to life, she noticed the mention of Prophet Jesus and asked her maid to get her a Bible so she could read more about Him. This started her journey from Islam into the Christian faith. As she began to read the Bible, the Lord Jesus appeared to her to confirm what she was reading, a number of times. These experiences struck her such that she approached the local Christian missionary, Synnove Mitchell to learn more. Over the following weeks and months, God revealed to her that the Christ of the Bible is the true Hope for life here and hereafter. She got soundly converted and through rejection and persecution, the Lord made her life a strong testimony, demonstrating God’s ability to sustain all who would come to Him through Jesus Christ.

In our text today, Paul made two powerful requests for believers. The first is that God will fill the believer with the knowledge of His will. A deep and true knowledge of God’s word is essential for the spiritual health of all Christians. It is this knowledge that controls our thoughts, our habits and blossoms into a blessed Christian character. The second prayer is the result of the first that the believer will walk worthy of the Lord. Walking worthy of the Lord leads to bearing fruit in every good work, increasing in the full knowledge of God and living a thankful, God-honouring life.

All this begins with the knowledge of God’s will and word. The centrality of His will is that “The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9) and live a life worthy of the Lord in all purity and righteousness. How we need to heed the word of God in its entirety!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The Scripture will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Scripture.

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Tuesday 24 December 2013

Daily Manna: Doubts: Needless Hiccup. Tuesday 24, December 2013

Daily Manna: Doubts: Needless Hiccup
Tuesday 24, December 2013
TEXT: LUKE 1:5-26

KEY VERSE: “And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season” (Luke 1:20).

Jeremy Taylor, an English clergyman, once said: “In dwelling on divine mysteries, keep your heart humble, your thoughts reverent, your soul holy. Let not philosophy be ashamed to be confuted, nor logic to be confounded, nor reason to be surpassed. What you cannot prove, approve; what you cannot comprehend, believe; what you can believe, admire and love and obey. So shall your ignorance be satisfied in your faith, and your doubt be swallowed up in your reverence, and your faith be as influential as sight. Put out your own candle and then shall you see clearly the sun of righteousness.”

This virtue was exactly what Zacharias would have appropriated into his life when God bestowed him a unique privilege of being the father of the forerunner of Jesus, but he expressed doubts.

Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, had outstanding relationship with God. The Scripture noted that they walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless, in spite of their childlessness. God decided, sequel to their faithfulness, to grant them an exceptional blessing.

As Zacharias was in the temple performing his priestly duties, God sent His angel to announce to him His plan to give him a precious son, who would be the forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ. Zacharias was just to believe God, no matter how foolish His word might look before an ordinary eye, because God’s ways are not man’s ways. Sadly, he doubted His word looking at his age and that of his wife. Consequently, God struck him with dumbness.

Many Christians, today, dishonour God through unbelief. At every challenge of life, they exhibit lack of faith. They doubt God and His word. But you can experience a total breakthrough today if you trust Him.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: We corrupt God’s word when we entertain doubt.

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Tuesday 10 December 2013

Daily Manna: Punishment for Oppressors. Tuesday 10, December 2013

Daily Manna: Punishment for Oppressors
Tuesday 10, December 2013
TEXT: ISAIAH 27:1-13

KEY VERSE: “Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together” (Isaiah 27:4).

Of thirty Roman emperors, governors of provinces and others in high office who distinguished themselves by their zeal and bitterness in persecuting the early Christians, one became speedily deranged after some atrocious cruelty, one was slain by his own son, another became blind, the eyes of one started out of his head, one was drowned, one was strangled, another died in a miserable captivity, one fell dead in a manner that will not bear recital, one died of so loathsome a disease that several of his physicians were put to death because they could not abide the stench that filled his room, two committed suicide, a third attempted it but had to call for help to finish the work, five were assassinated by their own people or servants, five others died the most miserable and excruciating deaths, eight were killed in battles, or after being taken prisoners. Among these was Julian the Apostate. In the days of his prosperity, he is said to have pointed his dagger to heaven defying the Son of God whom he commonly called the Galilean. But when he was wounded in battle, he saw that all was over with him, and he gathered up his clotted blood and threw it into the air, exclaiming, “thou has conquered, O thou Galilean.”

From the passage under consideration, the Lord promised Israel deliverance from the great Babylonian captivity. He dismissed their captors as incapable of withstanding His wrath in the day of battle. With their proud army destroyed, they shall be made to suffer more than Israel suffered as punishment for the cruel treatment meted to Israel when they were in captivity.

This should serve as lesson to all who oppress others. There comes a day when the Lord will avenge every iniquity and injustice. Those who are in the habit of violating the rights of the weak and vulnerable in society should expect a full dose of God’s wrath. Since He is the creator of all, He retains the absolute power to check every tyranny and overthrow all evil regimes anywhere in the world.

Those who are under oppression should look inward to discover what may have given the enemy the advantage over them. Sin opens the doors to many troubles. Come to term with your sins today. Now is the accepted time, now is the hour of salvation.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Sin is Satan's Forerunner

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Thursday 5 December 2013

Daily Manna: Danger of Unbelieve. Friday 06, December 2013

Daily Manna: Danger of Unbelieve
Friday 06, December 2013
TEXT: GALATIANS 4:21-31

KEY VERSE: “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?” (Galatians 4:21).

Many people trifle with the simplicity of faith in Jesus Christ and the extent of the transformation it can bring to their lives.

The same was the case with the Christians in Galatia. They thought that it would take obeying all the Old Testament laws before they could be accepted before God. They had been taught well by Apostle Paul, but no sooner did he leave their province than some new teachers introduced error to the believers. They told the believers that they must obey all the Laws of Moses, else their salvation was not complete. It was left to Apostle Paul to write an epistle debunking the erroneous teachings of the false prophets. In it, he drew attention to the story of the sons born to Abraham: one by a strange woman, a maid; and the other by his wife, explaining that the story was an illustration of the Old and New Testaments, as well as the lofty position of believers in the kingdom of God. While the son of the maid represented the old order which ends in bondage, Isaac, the heir of Abraham, stood for the new order, and the freedom that is found in Christ. Believers today are the children of promise. Born after the Spirit, they should expect persecution from those who live in the flesh. Nevertheless, believers must remain unmoved, knowing that they are free from the curse and condemnation of the law.

Jesus Christ has paid the ultimate price for us all. We should therefore readily accept His salvation by faith, and not seek to please God merely by struggling to keep the Old Testament laws. We are saved, strengthened and sustained in our Christian lives only by faith. God demands nothing more from us than to take Him at His word, trust Him to fulfill all His promises, and follow Him obediently for the rest of our lives.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Faith only is the key to God’s heart.

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POWER: Consumers decry tariff system

Electricity consumers have said that there was no justification for the rising estimated bills handed to them by the Distribution Companies, DISCOs, in view of the worsening power supply situation in the country.
They also condemned the recent suspension of the installation of pre-paid meters, which they said could reduce the burden of crazy billings.
The public outcry came even as the Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, said the Commission had not approved any increase in electricity tariff or charges by the DISCOs.
Some Lagos residents that spoke with Vanguard, said they have been experiencing unprecedented blackout since the unbundling of Power Holding Company of Nigeria’, PHCN’s assets, while their bills are still based on estimation.
Prepaid meters
Prepaid meters
Mr. Chibuike Igbokwe, a resident of Ojodu, said while residents experienced almost total blackout in November, his bills however, rose from N5,000 to N8,000. He questioned the rationale behind such high bills.
Search for pre-paid meters
He also disclosed that he had applied for pre-paid meter since June, to rescue him from such outrageous billing.
Igbokwe said: “I paid for pre-paid meter since June, with the hope that I will know exactly my consumption rate.
“I have not been given the meter, which means that my bill is still based on estimation. It is unfair.”
A resident of Ikeja, Mr. Emmanuel Etim, said residents in his area have not experienced electricity supply in the last three weeks, thus making it difficult for him to run his tailoring business.
He said: “The power situation has gone from bad to worse since the private investors took over. I use inverters to supple-ment public power supply.”
Etim told Vanguard that he had concluded plans to relocate his tailoring outfit to a more power-friendly area, to cash in on the seasonal boom.
Similarly, Mr. Boyo Oke, who lives in Oregun, disclosed that he paid for a pre-paid meter since January, but is yet to receive the supply, while his bills have gone up.
He said: “Go from house-to-house in Oregun and tell me where you will see the prepaid meter. How many houses are using the pre-paid meter in the state?
“You journalists should get the data and publish it. It is not available. The new investors know what they are doing.
“They can’t supply electricity; they can’t give the meter, yet they bring outrageous bills.”
100% increase in charge
Even those with pre-paid meters are not spared, as Femi Adisa, who lives at Alausa, said not only has the electricity supply situation deteriorated, but the bills are rising daily.
He accused the DISCOs of introducing hidden charges without informing consumers such as increasing the service by 100 percent.
He said: “I bought a recharge card worth N4,000 for my pre-paid meter. On getting home, I found out that the service charge has been increased by 100 percent from N750 to N1,500.
“I felt very annoyed not only because of the increase without notice, but because I have been without electricity for three weeks now.”

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/power-consumers-decry-tariff-system/#sthash.sMf19WOj.tpNrvsw5.dpuf

Source: Vanguard

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Daily Manna: Warn People Against Sin. Thursday 05, December 2013

Daily Manna: Warn People Against Sin
Thursday 05, December 2013
TEXT: EZEKIEL 3:15-21

KEY VERSE: “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me” (Ezekiel 3:17).

Many times, we desire great privileges, responsibilities and reward. We pick and choose those assignments that we think will lead us to quick realization of these incentives. And because we are not patient enough to wait until the Lord hands us His mandate, most times, we miss the mark of His expectation.

Not so for Ezekiel. The Lord had called him to be a messenger to the people of Israel. But He did not immediately outline his responsibility. It was, therefore, incumbent on him to wait patiently for seven days until the Lord told him the task he was to carry out. He was being sent as a watchman to the Israelites. God would speak to him, and he in turn was to convey the same words to the people of Israel. He would essentially address two categories of people: the wicked and the righteous. He was to warn the wicked and backslider to change their sinful ways and escape God’s judgment. But if they remained adamant and died in their sins despite the warning, God would absolve Ezekiel of blame. But if he failed to warn them to turn from their evil ways and they died in their sins, God would hold him responsible because he failed in his task.

The Lord has called us, essentially to carry out a labour of love for sinners and believers alike. All around us, sinners are sinking deeper into evil and are dying and heading into a doomed eternity. It is our duty, as believers, to warn them of the danger ahead, and hopefully, win them to Jesus Christ. We are also to warn believers against backsliding, irrespective of the pressure they face. If we do this conscientiously, God would appreciate our efforts. But if we fail to do it, we would be guilty of disobedience. The question is: When last did you warn someone against sin?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: “He that winneth souls is wise.”

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Tuesday 3 December 2013

..Daily Manna: Right Attitude In Trouble. Wednesday 04, December 2013

Daily Manna: Right Attitude In Trouble
Wednesday 04, December 2013
TEXT: ISAIAH 26:12-21

KEY VERSE: “LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them” (Isaiah 26:16).

Charles Swindle once said, “The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace from that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string that we have and the string is attitude.”

In this prophetic song in our text about the latter days, Isaiah prophesied what the attitude of Judah will be in reaction to the judgment of God in scattering them among the nations. Judah had lived in sin and God had visited them with judgment, allowing their enemies to take them into captivity. However, in this song, Isaiah was hopeful that Judah would eventually demonstrate the right attitude by turning to God in repentance. For this reason, they will be saved from the onslaught of the antichrist who will torment the world.

It is clear from the submission of Isaiah that what is needed while in trouble and perplexity is the right attitude. Unfortunately, however, many people portend an adamant attitude when faced with God’s chastisement. Rather than return to God, they choose to go farther away from Him. Conversely, the attitude of some others are even more alarming when God shows undeserved acts of mercy and kindness to them. Rather than be grateful, they choose to be contemptuous.

It is important for everyone to know, as Swindle has noted, that we all have a choice concerning the attitude and course of action we adopt each day. A positive attitude goes a long way to determining an eventual end. It is futile for anyone to fight his Maker. How we need to humble ourselves and wholly submit to God’s counsel even while passing through divine chastisement!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Decision determines destiny.

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Power privatisation: Operators raise concern over MYTO2 compliance

There are serious indications that the power sector privatisation exercise is experiencing some hiccups following alarms raised by some core investors in Distribution and Generation of electricity Companies over the insistence on strict compliance on Multi Year Tariff Order, MYTO 2.
These developments emerged at a general meeting with the new owners of all successor companies, organised by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, in Abuja to apparently weigh the initial problems of the Discos and Gencos and craft interventions that will address such challenges.
Many stakeholders, who spoke at the meeting lamented the non-functionality of the MYTO2 following the prevailing realities which they insist make compliance difficult, urging the NERC to review the realities on ground rather than hold them with their business plan.
In his remarks, the Managing Director/CEO of Kano DISCO, Dr. Jamil Gwamna, express grief that his company is not getting the required power allocation as stated in the MYTO which has drastically led to short fall in revenue generation.
Jamil Gwamna explained that the company received less than two percent of the designated eight percent distribution allocations to it as provided in the guidelines in non-compliance to the MYTO2 model.
“It is not a hidden thing. Every DISCO knows that if you generate for example X capacity, every DISCO will get a certain percentage of that generation.  It is there in the MYTO model. And the MYTO model is like the Bible of this industry. That is what we work with. But that is not happening. It is not happening in my DISCO.”
He further stated, “We are supposed to have eight percent of our generation and we are getting less than two percent. In fact, in the last few days, we have been getting less than 40MW, and Kano has a special issue, the issue is that, it is like a pass through allocation. We have to give Niger Republic 30MW. We are not allowed to touch that power. We can only touch what is meant for us.”
In his response, the Chairman and Chief Executive of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, attributed the shortfall in power supply to problems relating to transmission.
According to him, “Some of them are based on transmission issues while some are based on capacity received. So for us, it implies looking at the commercial framework. How do we ensure that the concerned DISCO that received insufficient power is able to also have the revenue to service their operation?
“And the MYTO provides for what we call balance in settlement so that the company that receives more power that the distributor there is a framework for settling that person. “So this calls us to now go back and review it. So this is not a new problem because before the sales, there were issues about power allocation. So, we intend to deal with the issue.
On the interim rule, Amadi explained that the new owners raised concern over the rule, which would temporarily suspend the operations of the PPAs.
“They are wondering that if they have signed gas supply agreement with the gas companies, and interim rule concept, how will the interim rule would cover that gap. The answer is that the interim rule will provide a settlement of all the obligations.
“The issue raised is vital but we are saying that they should go by the interim rule which will also advise us on how to pay for those gases because if the gas is not patronised, it is going to send the power producers out of business,” he stated.
Amadi also said the attitude of some new owners of the Generation and Distribution Companies for failing to attend crucial meetings with the regulatory agency would no longer be tolerated.
He said the commission would device stringent and stiffer conditions against some of the CEOs of the companies that fail to attend subsequent meetings with it just as he threatened to suspend the first scheduled meeting after take-over of the power generation and distribution plants with the companies in Abuja.
Amadi, who was visibly angry with the absent of CEOs of some of the new companies said, “This high level meeting is mandatory that CEOs come and when they cannot come for any good reason, they are expected to write to the commission informing us of their inability to attend because we want to have discussions at the high level on issues on the regulatory intervention.
“NERC requires that the Chief Executives of the GENCOs and the DISCOs are in attendance because it is very important that they attend this meeting personally and in company of their relevant technical persons.
“This meeting is very important to us because we do not want any licensee to have cause to disagree with us on any issue. We want to get their inputs on issues that affect the market, and we want to get their necessary inputs on all issues that affect the market. So, we should learn to take the meeting very seriously”, Amadi warned.
Amadi threatened that the meeting would have been called off but because of the number of persons in attendance, ‘we have to go ahead.

Source: Vanguard

Proceeds from the sale of NIPPS to be ploughed back into power secto – Olotu

Mr. James Olotu, Managing Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited, NDPHC, was in Lagos recently where he commissioned some NIPPs built by NDPHC. He spoke to some journalists on the NIPPs and the interface with the new owners of generation and distribution companies. SEBASTINE OBASI was there. Excerpts
Can you tell us the significance of the commissioning ceremony?
We of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited are very happy to see that there are more additional projects being delivered in Lagos State generally. We are also happy that since the handover of the privatized distribution companies to the new owners, we are joining them hand in hand to work together to achieve the objectives of Mr. President through his transmission agenda for power, driving back darkness by bringing light.
We were at Eko Electricity Distribution Company. We met with the new owners, West Power and Gas Company. Our relationship and association during that meeting showed that they are people of focus. They are determined to improve the power efficiency we have in Nigeria. They are prepared to invest more by buying the right equipment that will ensure that power gets to the people they want to provide power to.
We were able to join hands with them to commission four power injection sub-sections in those locations. Those four gave us about 105 MVA added to the sector.  That is about 90 megawatts. Some four stations are doing very well. Some of them have two transformers. Three of them have two transformers, while the other one has one transformer. Each of the transformers has 15 MVA capacity.
Already customers are feeling the impact. We have been to Magodo, where we commissioned  an extension of an existing sub-section by adding 15 MVA transformer to the station and improving and updating the equipment in the control building, from the old technology to the new technology, making them state-of-the-arts, making it easy for the operators to manage them.
Formerly, when they were using the old equipment, there was risk that sometimes it could blow up. We are happy we are contributing equipment that are new and that have high stake steel standard and that improved the power delivery system to the people of Lagos.
We also commissioned another 15 MVA transformer at Ogba Ijaiye. In these locations, the new majority shareholders, Sahara Energy were also with us. We went round together. We held a meeting also with them. The meeting introduced a lot of wonderful interface relationship between us. Coming out with us made them see practically what is obtainable in the field and the challenges that they have to worry about and to bring solutions to.
When the private sector comes into a place what they look at is the business models, they look at performance and to the private sector, the customer is always right. We are looking for eminent customers around them who are willing and ready to pay for quality and sustainable power delivery. And then they will have to assess how much is that estate or how much is that group worth. And how much do we need to invest to make that group happy.
When there is a balance in that equation that makes them feel it is a profitable venture, they will surely invest. But before now, no matter how profitable a place is to the business, as long as it does not meet any political agenda, it might give them the power. Today things are different. We are happy that government privatized. We are happy the privatization is ongoing. Even the NDPHC has joined the fray. We also want to privatize the 10 plants we are building, two of which you all know were commissioned by Mr. President some weeks ago – Geregu and Omotosho.
We have seen other stations that were commissioned. Everything was ready before your arrival. We expected this one to be commissioned by now. Giving that you have been checking off these projects across timelines, what measures are you deploying against non compliant contractors?
You notice that at Oworonshoki, where we went first, the Lagos state government demolished the building three times. We had to meet them and let them know that this project is for the people of Lagos before they allowed us to resume work. How do you blame such a contractor for not finishing a project at the right time? So there are many situations like that.
There was another location where the contractor started work and it was demolished for not meeting one standard or the other. He had to start all over again. Some people had the freedom to start their project and finish them, while some had difficulties on the way and we had to tackle those difficulties and then worked together to achieve the needed result.
The important thing is that we delivered the projects to Nigerians. Yes, I agree with you that some contractors are slow. There are very few of them. If for example you put Julius Berger on a project and you put Olotu on the same project, you will not get the same result. And you will not pay me the same amount you will pay Julius Berger. All fingers are not equal. Truly, some of them are slow and we invited them to several meetings. We are taking punitive measures against them. Some of them who are very slow, we have taken part of the projects away from them and gave to others who have finished their own.
At Ijesha, where we have 2×15 MVA injection sub-station, it was handled by Messrs Pivot. By the delivery of that project yesterday, they became the second EPC contractor to finish their project in the NIPP distribution team. That is a fantastic accolade for such a contractor. Such a contractor knows that in the books (In our green, red, yellow and black book), his name is recorded somewhere. If tomorrow comes and we are looking for contractors that delivered projects, we know where to look at.
Those ones who slowed us down for reasons that are not caused by things that are beyond them, we marked them. They are going to be on the red register. Those ones can never get projects from us again. It is their own problem. Let them work the way they work. Those who want to remain in business of working for us, especially where I am involved, they must make sure they deliver their projects on time. Those who do not, will not get another projects again.
After the close of bids, what follows?
The close of the receipts of bids is not the close of the transaction. After the close of bids, the bids are opened. The bids would be given to an evaluation committee, which includes technical people, such as engineers, lawyers, accountants, EFCC and SSS officials, World Bank and other members of the international community represented. It will be monitored by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Ministry of Power, as well as staff of NDPHC.
We will lock them up somewhere, quiet, safe and they will be working for the next two weeks to do the evaluation. It is after the evaluation, that the report will be submitted, which will be taken to the board and the owners of the company. Upon their approval, we announce the results. Then we open the financial bid. The technical bid is to ensure that the people have competencies technically to be able to run efficiently and effectively a power plant of the size of which they themselves said they want to buy.
This is to safeguard Nigeria from people who are just coming in to buy, strip the assets and then take away the money. Having been satisfied that the people who want to buy are technically competent and effectively able to run the kind of power plant they are talking about, we now look at their financials. Again, sometimes somebody may be technically good but he does not have the money to pay. We look at the financials and see that they have the clout to do so. Then we announce the financial results.
That hopefully according to our agenda will finish by January next year. Thereafter, the preferred winners and the runners up would be made known. Then we give them a period of six months to be able to gather all the money they need to gather. By June or July next year, all the payments would have been made. Do not forget they are investing in 80 percent shares in the individual power plants that are existing.  It is not as if we are selling the assets. They are buying into a growing concern. What they are buying is the ability of that growing concern to make money by giving power efficiently into the grid.
You had discussions with the investors, both in Eko and Ikeja. What was the kernel of your discussions?
The meetings we held with them was to first of all let them know, because what they purchased, what they bought into does not include anything that NIPP is doing. They did not include NIPP facilities. I let them know that in Ikeja, we have 33 or 34 projects being done by NIPP for the distribution company that they have bought into. The equipment were provided by the three tiers of government. They are not part of what they bought, but this is what these equipment and facilities can do for them and are already doing for them.
I did not come to demand for any payment. We will discuss those things later. First of all, know that we are taking inventory of these items. Incidentally, I discovered that what we are doing for Ikeja is about 100 percent of what they had before in terms of the aggregate value of the MVA that we are putting into the system.
Secondly, the board of NDPHC has agreed that we should take inventory of the facilities and as we commission, we handover the inventory sheet to the new owners. Somebody would do the evaluation, not necessarily contract evaluation. Then the regulator would look at what that valuation is, so that you don’t inflate the value unnecessarily. If you put too much value, it will translate to what the price of the tariff will be. If you put too less value, I lose.
The regulator therefore has to balance it. Then we give them the financial statement, based on the equipment and their value and demand a cheque. Then we negotiate. However, the board has given the new owners a period of 10 years to recover and pay us that money. The board has also approved that even when we get the money, we are not going to give it to the governors and the states to share. It will still be ploughed back into the power sector, in certain areas of the sector where we currently know there are still bottlenecks. Nigeria must continue to invest in the power sector.


Source: Vanguard

Monday 2 December 2013

Daily Manna: A Godly Thought For Children. Tuesday 03, December 2013

Daily Manna: A Godly Thought For Children
Tuesday 03, December 2013
TEXT: MARK 10:13-16

KEY VERSE: “But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:14,16).

In many nations, godly care and concern for children are observed in their breach. Children grow up, mostly in the midst of a near zerotolerance for their well-being by the society.

Our text reveals the mindset of the Lord towards children. The disciples had, for curious reasons, forbade children from coming to the Lord. In their erroneous estimation, children had no part to play in Christ’s emerging Kingdom. The Lord’s surprising response must have startled them. Not only did He upbraid the disciples for preventing the children from coming to Him, He declared pointedly that it requires a child-like innocency and simplicity of faith to enter His eternal Kingdom.

How we need to take appropriate cues from the Master and learn afresh what our disposition towards children ought to be. In many nations, there are no clear-cut policies to govern the affairs of children let alone, identify and sustain godly disposition that will create the enabling environment for them to flourish. Yet, children sometimes constitute over fifty percent of the population. The resultant error of omission and indeed of commission has produced delinquent, vagabond, wayward miscreants among children who daily pose a threat to society. Worse, there are so-called Christian assemblies with scant regards for the spiritual welfare of children.

No effort must be spared towards raising our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Today’s disciples of Christ must encourage those who have genuine call into the children ministry to fulfill their God given mandate for the sake of our hapless children and posterity. Parents, on their own part, must follow-up on the efforts of the children church by providing a godly example and environment for their children to emulate. The spiritual well-being of our children must never be left to chance.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A trained child today is a treasure tomorrow.

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Daily Manna: Insincere Lifestyle. Monday 02, December 2013

Daily Manna: Insincere Lifestyle
Monday 02, December 2013
TEXT: NUMBERS 14:40-45

KEY VERSE: “And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper. Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies” (Numbers 14:41,42).

Pastor Lewis Llewellyn says that the Koreans have a curious new-year custom. Desiring to forget unpleasant things and make a fresh start, each person determines what bad habits he would like to eliminate and what past deeds he wants forgiven. Then he writes the names of those evils on a kite and flies it high into the air. When it is almost out of sight, he cuts the string. As the “paper bird” takes a nosedive and disappears from sight, he thinks that all his faults and previous transgressions are forever removed.

This preamble describes the action of the Israelites in the text under review. Without genuine repentance, the people felt they could easily be accepted before God. They presumptuously determined to go up “unto the place which the LORD hath promised”. However, God did not confuse their admission of guilt with true repentance because He knew their hearts. Sure enough, they soon went their own way again.

God expects every sinner to genuinely repent and turn away from the old lifestyle of sin. Repentance is the acknowledgement of sins and the willingness to turn away from them. After repentance from sin, faith must be anchored in Christ who forgives sins and produces the grace for a righteous living.

Moses emphasized the danger of not being sincere before God. He told them that the presence of God would depart from them and that they would fall by the sword of their enemies. It is the same today. A sinner is at the mercy of the devil. Genuine and heart-felt repentance must therefore be undertaken by those who truly want to be pardoned. This done, a life-long commitment to holy living and obedience are required to ultimately enter heaven.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Repentance and faith connect a sinner with God.

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