Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has re-echoed the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration towards reducing energy poverty among Nigerians.
Omo-Agege gave this indication on Saturday in Orhomuru – Orogun, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, on the occasion of the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony of the construction of a 7.5MVA electricity injection substation through the NDPHC/NIPP intervention in the area.
Omo-Agege identified one of the impediments to economic and social development to be energy poverty, pointing out that it has been established by scholars that energy poverty directly or indirectly affects the living standard of individuals in any society just as he added that an individual is in energy poverty if it is impossible for him/her to have access to 120 kilowatts of electricity per capita per year for lighting, potable water, education and other basic needs.
According to him, the purpose of the federal government establishing the power Sub-station in Orogun is to reduce the energy poverty among the people in the area, adding that the project will not only impact positively on the economic and physical lives of the people, but it will also provide sustainable power supply to the new Federal Polytechnic due to commence academic activities next year.
He said: “All over the world there is an agreement that access to energy is fundamental to the improvement in the quality of life and it is a key imperative to economic development.
“Energy has played, and will continue, to play a pivotal role in the development of major and emerging economies.
“Across the world, reliable energy supports expanded industries, modern agriculture, increase trade and transportation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it has been established by scholars that energy poverty directly or indirectly affects the living standards in any society.
“A person is in energy poverty if he does not have access to at least 120kw electricity per capita per year for lighting, access to most basic services, potable water, improved health services, education, communication and other services plus some added value to local production.
“More importantly, the education system, investment climate and agricultural system need to have sufficient electricity to improve service delivery to individuals. Hence the decision to establish this power station.
“I have no doubt in my heart that the establishment of this station will promote research and development in the Federal Polytechnic which is just next door.
“The International Energy Agency considers energy to be at the heart of the 2030 agenda for the attainment of the sustainable development goals, SDGs, adopted by all countries of the world in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Thus, any effort aimed at improving energy is a step towards to achievement of the SDG goals.”
Omo-Agege further noted that the administration of President Buhari has been engaged in reducing energy poverty which over the years has negatively affected economic development and public health, adding that the deliberate effort by the government was for people using modern energy to reduce social cost and increase social benefits.
“The Buhari administration is currently making significant effort aimed at reducing energy poverty that has over the years, impacted negatively on economic development and public health. The objective has been to ensure that the people who use modern energy should increase to reduce social cost and increase social benefits.
“The establishment of this power station is one of the several initiatives aimed at addressing the energy poverty in our nation”, he said.
The Senator also recalled the earlier effort by the Buhari administration to provide transformers to different parts of the region to boost energy supplies, adding that that initiative also included the provision of solar street lights across several communities in Delta Central Senatorial Districts just as he added that more distribution transformers are expected from the implementation of the 2021 budget.
Omo-Agege drew that attention of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, to the ongoing mass metering initiative of the federal government, adding that he does not accept the suggestion which the distribution company earlier made of bulk metering to the communities at the completion of the substation project.
“May I use this medium to remind the Benin Electricity Distribution Company of their obligation to their customers and government regarding the mass metering initiative of the federal government aimed at ending the era of estimated billing syndrome.
“We don’t want bulk metering. We want the individual home meters and I’m sure we can attain that. That is what the President wants, that is what we in the National Assembly want”, he added.
Earlier on the General Manager of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Engr. Gazama Melee, had given details of the scope of the step down project, adding that apart from the installation of the 7.5MVA transformer to step the power from the high tension, the company will also construct a 4-kilometers of 11kv line to distribute the power to be stepped down including 7 distribution transformers to reach individual houses.
He emphasized the advantages of the substation to include the control and regulation of faults as well as the capability of normalizing high or low voltage in the line. The GM also reminded that the project is capable of generating employment for the people of the area.
“We are constructing a 7.5MVA 33-11kv injection substation. From there, we are going to construct a 4-kilometer 11kv line to distribute the power we are stepping down. We are also going to install ab 7 distribution transformers so that it can reach individual houses.
“The advantage of this substation is that if there is a fault on the downstream, instead of the fault to affect the whole line from Ughelli power station, this substation will arrest it and isolate the fault.
“Secondly, if there is problem of high voltage or voltage drop on the line, the transformer has the capability to regulate it by bringing it it down or stepping it up to the level that will be acceptable to us.
“Thirdly, this project will provide employment for the teeming youths of this area”, he said.
Also, speaking at the occasion, a representative of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Engr. David Ehigemesai disclosed that the company was in full support of the project, adding that “we are ready to give our support to the contractor to make the project a reality.”
He appealed to the people of the area to provide security for the project “to avoid vandalization of the equipment”, adding that the would-be consumers should be “prepared for pre-paid bulk metering as a stop-gap in the interim”
The managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding, Mr. Chiedu Ugbo, said the project is an interventionist one under the Niger Delta Power Holding Company/National Independent Power Project (NDPHC/NIPP), adding that it was designed to improve electricity supplies in Orogun community.
He thanked President Buhari for his initiative to improve the lives of Nigerians through the provision of power supply, just as he commended the Deputy President of the Senate for passionately attracting the project to Orogun to improve the standard of living of the people of the area.
Ugbo also assured that the company will ensure that the project is completed on time, adding that “We don’t work with contractors who run away from projects”. “Under my leadership, I assure you that this project will be completed sooner than we expect”, he assured.
Earlier, the leadership of the Orogun Development Progress Union has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for extending development to the community even as they lauded Senator Omo-Agege for being a shinning light that has attracted development to the area.
