Uche Cecil Izuora
Geometric Power, has lauded the Abia State government for promoting private-public partnership as part of the strategy to accelerate the state’s rapid development.
The power generation firm said though it signed gas supply contract almost two decades ago with The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SDPC) which used to operate Oil Mining Licence (OML) 17 in Owaza in Ukwa West LGA of Abia State, it receives gas from Heirs Energies, a fast-growing indigenous oil and gas company that now operates the oil licence following the President Muhammadu Buhari’s decline to renew the Shell licence.
Given the ageing gas infrastructure which was built over half a century ago that has now created serious operational challenges, the firm said Governor Alex Otti has encouraged the company to explore alternative sources of gas supply to its 188-megawatt plant in the Osisioma Industrial Layout in Aba.
In a commendation by the company’s leadership to Governor Alex Otti, Power and Utilities Commissioner Ikechukwu Monday, and Power and Utilities Special Adviser Katchi Etolue, signed by Edise Ekong, Brand and Communications Manager at Aba Power, a member of the Geometric Power group, applauded the state government for its steady intervention to ensure it sustains electricity supply to customers.
Edise says “the latest example of the state government’s promotion of collaboration with the private sector is its intervention in recent different negotiations” between Geometric Power and some other firms in the energy industry for uninterrupted power supply in the Aba Ring-fenced Area following gas supply outages that resulted in blackouts in the area.
Aba Ring-fenced Area comprises nine of the 17 local government areas (LGAs) in Abia State.
“The governor”, declared Ekong, “intervened directly and many times in our negotiations with gas producers and suppliers to ensure constant supply, so that industries, social organizations like hospitals, laboratories and educational institutions, as well as households, markets and small and medium enterprises remain competitive for the benefit of all in Abia and beyond”.
“Progress is being on this issue”, he said, but provided no details.
Continued the Aba Power manager: “As he was intervening in negotiations with gas suppliers, the governor was also getting constant briefings from his Commissioner for Power and public Utilities, Engineer Monday, and his Special Adviser on Power and Public Utilities, Engr Etolue, both sound professionals and dedicated public servants”.
Ekong, also an engineer, stated that Governor Otti demonstrated the same passion in Geometric Power’s discussions with the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and the Independent System Operator (ISO) in Abuja for his firm’s temporary use of power from the national grid during emergencies.
He revealed that Geometric Power has already paid in advance an undisclosed amount which he described as significant for supplies from the national grid “when there is a compelling need to draw electricity from this source”.
Commending the state administration for “practising public-private partnership in truth and spirit”, he commended “religious bodies, civil society organizations, industrialists, landlords, professionals, traders, communities, and other stakeholders in Aba and the environs for their understanding during the blackouts arising from a total lack of gas while the repair and rehabilitation of the antiquated gas infrastructure were on.
“Things are much better now, and we hope they will continue to get better”.