Nnaji assures Aba firms of better power supply

Former Nigerian power minister, Professor Barth Nnaji, who is also the Chairman, Geometric Power Plant, a private power company, has assured Aba-business community in Abia of improved electricity when the power plant is completed in 2013.

Nnaji, gave the assurance when members of Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA) visited the power plant located at Osisioma, near Aba, on Thursday.

The visit to the power plant was part of their business luncheon.

He said the plan was for Aba, the commercial hub of Abia, to have improved power supply from the power plant by December 2012.

He, however, said that the constraint militating against the realisation of this plan was the non-completion of work at the gas turbine at Owaza in Ukwa West Local Government Area, expected to supply gas to the plant.

He said that the supply of electricity would improve in Aba when the plant generates 140 megawatts of electricity in February, 2013.

He said the megawatts of electricity from the plant would increase to 187 megawatts within the same year.

Nnaji said the company’s sub-stations at Umuode, Owerrinta, Factory Road, Ogbor-Hill in Aba, were almost completed.

In a paper he delivered at the luncheon, Mr Bertram Nwaturuocha, expressed satisfaction that the power sector in Nigeria was undergoing `remarkable reform.’

Nwaturuocha’s paper was entitled: “Power Supply Problems in Aba: The Effect on Aba Business Community and Remedy’’.

He expressed regrets that the amount of power currently being generated in Nigeria was inadequate and unstable.

“This has forced most industries, businesses and households particularly in Aba to rely on diesel and petrol as primary back-up sources of electricity,’’ he said.

He said that the estimate given by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) that Nigerians spent up to N769.4 billion annually in fuelling their generators was correct.

“Of this amount, N540.9 billion was spent on diesel-powered generators, while N255.5 billion was spent on buying petrol for generator.’’

He described the unbundling of PHCN and the establishment of 11 distribution companies to be owned by private sector as `a remarkable’ development aimed at obliterating monopoly in the sector.

Nwaturuocha listed the challenges facing regular supply of electricity in Aba to include, urbanisation leading to population explosion, constant load shedding, obsolete feeder units and breakers, some of which he said, were over 52 years.

Chief Eleanya Okoroji, the President of the ACCIMA, said that one of the aims of the business luncheon was to find solution to power supply affecting business in the city.

He said that though the business community in Aba was facing other challenges, inadequate supply of electricity was the worst constraint hindering the development of business in the city.