The Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, will make a bid today to buy over the Umuahia ringed fence of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in order to provide steady power to eight local governments that are not covered by the Geometric Power.
Otti stated this yesterday at a reception that was organized by the management of Geometric Power after the commissioning and tour of Aba Power’s new 2 X 15 MVA, Ogbor Hill Sub – Station by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Otti, also directed the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities to hold discussions with the management of the Geometric power over wheeling of its excess power to the Umuahia ringed fence.
The governor said: “We are in the process of buying EEDC and restructuring Umuahia.
“By tomorrow (Tuesday, 6th), we will be making an offer to EEDC.
“We have done all the due diligence, we have done all the evaluations and by tomorrow, we will be making an offer to EEDC.
“Our estimation is that with all the 11 sub stations (of Geometric) ready and the 9 local governments connected, somehow, we have the problem of Ukwa West, which we are putting heads together to solve.
“So, that means that we will have over 80 megawatts excess power from here.
“Ordinarily, what would happen is for that excess power to be injected into the national grid, but then, with the deregulation, our discussion with Geometric Power is around wheeling that 80 or 88 megawatts or any excess power into Umuahia ring-fence.
“So, once we are in control, that excess power will go to Umuahia.”
Otti also appreciated Obasanjo for isolating Aba as a ringed-fence far before now that the federal government has granted states authority to regulate electric power.
Obasanjo pleaded with the Geometric Power to include the remaining eight local governments in the state that were not yet covered by the electricity ringed-fence of the Geometric power.
He described Aba as a centre of industrialidation, which deserves steady power.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman and CEO of Geometric Power Group, Professor Bart Nnaji, while giving an overview of the vision of Aba Integrated Power Project, lauded former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Alex Otti for their roles which were instrumental to the realization of the project.
He also thanked Otti for his long standing support for the project during his time as the Executive Director of First Bank and later, Diamond Bank, adding that Dr. Otti as a governor has created an enabling environment for the project to thrive.
He disclosed that so far, the Aba Power has cost over $800 million.
