The Abia State Government restored electricity to 33 communities in Ukwa West Local Government Area on Monday, ending a nine-year power outage.
Speaking at a ceremony in Obehie, organised by the state government to mark the formal power switch-on, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State assured the people of a reliable power supply going forward.
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Mr Otti said that the intervention fulfilled a promise he made in March to reconnect the affected communities to the electricity supply.
He expressed confidence in the project’s sustainability, commending the Chief Executive Officer of Geometric Power Limited, Bart Nnaji, for his resilience and long-term investment in the power sector.
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He disclosed that Mr Nnaji had invested about $800 million in bringing his power company to where it stands today, describing it as “a necessary sacrifice for power development”.
“You know better than anyone how long this place has been in darkness and in a few moments, we will turn on the lights, and from today, you will enjoy 24-hour power supply.
“I say this with confidence because Prof Bart Nnaji is here with me and everywhere he has worked, the story is the same.
“The other day, someone told me that in the last 120 days, electricity in his house has not blinked once. I want to sincerely thank Nnaji for the excellent work he has done,” the governor said.
He further said that the government would work with the local government to support residents, who might be unable to pay their monthly electricity bill.
“I will, therefore, mandate the mayor to sit with the lawmaker, the commissioner, and other stakeholders, to work out a way to support those who genuinely cannot afford to pay.
“I am not asking you to do what I have not done. I have already done this in my own community,” Mr Otti said.
He urged residents to protect public infrastructure, adding that community vigilance was key to sustaining development projects.
An appeal against vandalism
In his speech, Mr Nnaji assured residents of regular electricity supply, adding that the area fell within the nine local government areas supported by Aba Power Limited, a subsidiary of Geometric Power Limited.
He stated that the area had received 33 transformers and that several distribution lines had been installed.
He said that power in the area would be generated outside the national grid, allowing it to remain stable even during national system collapses.
Mr Nnaji stated that a 42-kilometre power line is also under construction at a cost of approximately N2 billion to support local industries in the area.
He, therefore, appealed to residents to stop vandalism and energy theft, pointing out that the line under construction had been vandalised seven times so far.
He urged the community to report any suspicious activities to Aba Power Limited or the relevant government authorities.
Mr Nnaji commended the Abia State Government for its commitment to the project, describing it as a significant milestone in ensuring reliable power supply to residents, businesses, and industries.
The General Manager of Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, Joshua Onyeike, said that restoring power in the area marked a key milestone in local government development.
Mr Onyeike further described the project as a symbol of progress and hope for residents of the area.
He urged the public to protect the infrastructure, adding that past vandalism had hindered development in the affected communities.
Mr Onyeike thanked the Abia State Government, highlighting its commitment towards ensuring the continuous dividend of democracy was evenly spread across the state.
Lawmaker’s request to Otti
In his remark, the lawmaker, representing Ukwa West State Constituency, Godwin Adiele, said that the Otti-led government had done well within a short period and expressed confidence that it would continue to deliver results.
Mr Adiele also said that residents were expecting the commencement of key commercial road projects, particularly along the Umezeke, Obokwe and Ogwati routes, as earlier promised by the governor.
The lawmaker stated that the area’s residents were primarily smallholder farmers and that the local government area lies within the state’s only oil-producing region.
He, therefore, urged the government to grant electricity tariff relief to the people of the area.
The Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, said that the project included rehabilitating 30 transformer distribution substations, installing 12 new transformers, restoring 34 kilometers of high-tension lines, and 3.5 kilometers of low-tension lines.
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Mr Monday said that the benefitting communities were currently being metered for effective billing.
He emphasised the importance of electricity as a key component of Abia’s development agenda.
He admitted that some challenges that caused power outages in the past still existed, and said that the government had put necessary measures in place to manage the electricity system to prevent future disruptions.
(NAN)
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