…Commissions Aba Power Plant
From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Federal Government said it was going to address the power challenge of the country to enhance business opportunities and make life more meaningful to the citizenry.
This was disclosed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Aba, the commercial capital of Abia State while commissioning the 188 Mega Watts Aba Integrated Power Plant Project of the Geometric Power Limited.
The President, represented by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima described the realization of the project which lingered for over 20 years, during his time as the President of the country as the realization of dreams.
While describing Prof. Barth Nnaji, founder/president of Geometric Power as a true compatriot, Shettima blamed corruption as one of the reasons the project lingered for over 20 years.
He stated that it took a leader like Tinubu to have removed all the bottlenecks which had over the years made the project suffered setbacks.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu in his speech said he was happy the project was coming at his time as the minister of power, and thanked the President for his support and series of interventions towards the realization of the project.
Adelabu while appreciating the ingenuity of Prof. Nnaji, noted that the project was not just for Aba electricity users, but for the entire country.
He disclosed that his ministry was working tirelessly to ensure the end of estimated billing by DISCOS, adding that the coming on board of Geometric would solve power challenge bedeviling the country.
The governor of the state, Dr. Alex Otti recalled his numerous interventions for the project from his days in First Bank and Diamond Bank, noting that Aba was pivotal to the economy of the state, southeast, the country and West Africa at large.
Otti was of the view that the Power Plant would have ripple effect on the economy of the state, also warned against vandalization and extortion of customers.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Geometric, Prof. Nnaji had earlier said the power project was a child of necessity which came to meet the challenges of power supply of Aba entrepreneurs who were yearning for improved power in the state.
Nnaji disclosed that the $800 power project would not only help to attract more investment to the state, but would help to solve the power needs of the country as the excess power supply would be moved to the national grid.