The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, yesterday announced the decision of the federal government to deploy armed troops and a special court in a renewed war against vandals of gas supply pipelines to the 10 completed National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPS) valued at over $16 billion.
Okupe, who made the announcement yesterday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, at the end of the one-day summit for all states publicity secretaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the decision for troop deployment will also be backed by the establishment of a special court to facilitate quick prosecution of vandals and saboteurs.
Okupe said though the repairs on the vandalized gas pipelines had commenced to restore regular supply to the existing power plants and raise the power generated up to targeted 7,000 megawatts, the war against vandals and saboteurs will be executed in line with the ongoing security action against insurgency and terrorism in some parts of the north.
He noted that the preliminary investigation conducted by the federal government showed that the saboteurs, suspected to be members of opposition political parties and groups, are ready to lay their lives down to frustrate the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan in the power sector.
He said: “These people have resolved to continue to play the dangerous game. They know that, all things being equal, President Jonathan will deliver on the promise of regular power supply. Once he does that, the people will vote him into office for second term. Those who are unrelenting at querying the capability of the president to deliver have resolved to sabotage the effort and destroy the Nigerian dream.”
“In all these, they are not only aiming at the president but trying to kill the dream of regular power supply by the people.”
Okupe announced that the security action planned against vandals and saboteurs may last between six and eight weeks with a $1 billion earmarked by government, which would affect electricity supply.
“This period will be the lowest for the nation in terms of power generation. When the battle is started and the repairs completed, more power projects will become operational and power supply will improve,” he said.
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