Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Power and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to urgently provide funds for the completion of the Okpai–Kwale Transmission Line Project in Delta State.
At the plenary on Tuesday, the lower chamber of the parliament mandated its Committee on Power to ensure that bottlenecks mitigating against the completion of the project are effectively addressed and the project is completed in due time.
This followed a motion moved by Mr Nnamdi Ezechi, the lawmaker representing Ndokwa/UKwuani Federal Constituency in the National Assembly on the floor of the green chambers.
Mr Ezechi, while moving the motion, noted that Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency is host to the 960 megawatts Okpai Independent Power Plant, which plays a significant role in supplying electricity to Anambra, Enugu and Abuja, thereby making it a crucial asset for the nation’s power distribution system.
He expressed concerns that despite its significant role in power supply as well as hosting several oil companies, including the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Sterling Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), Midwestern Oil and Gas Limited, Energia Limited, Pillar Oil Limited, Chorus Energy Limited, communities in Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal constituency lack electricity supply, which is impeding socio-economic progress in the area.
He recalled that in 2021, TCN awarded the contract sum of about N4.2 billion for the construction of a 132KV Double Circuit transmission line to address the electricity needs of the Ndokwa/Ukwuani communities but stressed that the project has experienced significant delays and has been stalled for over a year due to price variations.
“Despite formal requests by the contractor for additional funding to complete the project, it still remains uncompleted as all efforts have proved futile; and cognizant of the need to prioritize the electrification project in Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency and ameliorate the untold hardship the people have faced despite their contribution to the power sector;” Mr Ezechi lamented.
