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Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Government has called on the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), to implement adequate decision on the 330KV substation Siemens electricity facility allotted to Ekiti to enable electricity supply in the State for economic development.
The Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Engr. Bamidele Faparusi, said quick completion of the project would project growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the State.
Bamidele said the demand was made during his visit to the TCN office, Power House, Abuja, on Wednesday .
Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti , on Thursday, Faparusi urged the TCN to accelerate the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding reached on the project was delayed due to COVID-19 Pandemic.
“At present, we only have one 132 substation and that is completely inadequate to service the state. As we speak today, Ekiti State is probably the most marginalized in the area of power infrastructure, I can assure you of that.
“We are not blaming anybody, but the most important thing is to identify the problem and solve it and TCN has taken that step by supporting the state by signing an MoU with us around April, 2020.
“And whatever that is required, His Excellency is ready to support TCN so that TCN can now have its footprint in the state like any other state. So, that’s why we are here to get reassurance from you to ask you when we are kick starting that project. Because, Governor Fayemi would be happy to see it kick off and completed before the end of his administration. And we are running against time.”
“When we came on board, we analysed our power challenge in the state and realized that the transmission infrastructure is the weakest link to the problem we have in the state. And the only way to solve this problem is to have this synergy with TCN. We want to inform you that we have been having the support of TCN.”
Faparusi applauded the TCN for ensuring that the state featured in Siemens project adding that the government may be patient but the people are not patient with the government and are eager to see improvement in power supply.
He said the government has an office, had already appointment a General Manager for the poject, constitued a standing committee and the governor is ready to commit whatever that is required.
The Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Engr. Ahmed Abdulaziz, said the federal government was incurably committed to the improvement of electricity supply in the country to catalyse industrial development.
“The issue of Ekiti has been ongoing for sometime, an MoU was signed and I spoke with the governor and also met with the Executive Director, TSP, ) Engr. Adewumi Victor who is also from Ekiti.
“So, We are not relenting, we are doing everything possible to make sure that we do what we earlier agreed to do, including TCN, the fund we envisaged is not coming as expected. So, what the new management is trying to do is to sit down and see when they would be able to gather money to kick start that project.
“We implore you to be a little bit patient with us. The project is still on course and by the grace of God, we will be able to realize the two projects.”
