ONITSHA—Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Power and Steel, Senator
Chris Ngige, Monday, said concerted efforts by the committee to salvage
epileptic power supply in Nigeria had started yielding dividends,
following the celebration in Awka, Anambra State, of three consecutive
weeks of uninterrupted electricity supply.
Residents of such places
as Agu-Awka, Ekeh Awka market, have expressed relief from the air and
sound pollution of power generating sets.
Speaking with newsmen in
Awka, Senator Ngige, who represents Anambra Central senatorial district,
explained that the development was part of his developmental programme
for the zone.
He added that the new transmission line at Agu-Awka
power station was being test-run and would officially be commissioned in
no distant time.
Ngige also said it was part of the IPP programme
being carried out by government to alleviate suffering of Nigerians over
the epileptic power supply in the country and save small and medium
scale industries from closing shops.
He said: “This is part of the
IPP programme of government on the power sector. What we have in
Agu-Awka power station is a new transmission line that is under a test
run and that explains why in the past three weeks, major parts of Awka
have been enjoying uninterrupted power supply.
“As a result of this,
the load in those areas has reduced and also improved power supply in
places as Nibo, Mbaukwu, Umuawulu and Amawbia towns of Awka South local
government areas.
“When the issue of IPP and transmission lines were
being put in the front burner at the National Assembly, areas such as
Onitsha–Nnewi were included as well as Awka –Enugu-Abakaliki.
“So,
that of Awka has come on stream and I am happy to tell you that this is
one of my constituency programmes for Anambra Central.
“Due to my
position as Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Power and Steel, I was
able to network major towns in Anambra State, including the Ala Oji
power station in Abia State, and also towns like Onitsha-Ihiala Owerri-
Oguta –Aba and Nnewi areas.
“It would be recalled that when the
Senate Committee on Power started its oversight functions it was
discovered that 21 containers of transmission lines imported by the
Federal Government’s contractors were auctioned by the Customs to
unknown buyers whose addresses could not be identified.”
Ngige noted
“that the probe on power and customs over the auctioned transmission
lines had yielded dividend and that is why Awka has witnessed a major
boost in power supply.”
He hinted that in less than three months, the
improvement in power supply would be more, lamenting that no fewer than
16,000 small scale and over 20,000 medium and large scale industries
had closed shop due to failure in the power sector in the South East
zone since 1999.
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