The Ebonyi State Government has reiterated its commitment to the restoration of power supply in Afikpo communities after a 13-year outage in the area.
Peter Oga-Ali, the State Commissioner for Power and Energy, gave the assurance on Monday, after an inspection of the power project in Afikpo, Afikpo local council of the state.
Oga-Ali, who also gave an account of the ₦208 million released for the project by Gov. Francis Nwifuru, said the installation of eight new transformers has been achieved.
“The construction of Amasiri sub-station in the local government area is also completed for steady power supply.
“There were additional five old transformers and all of them have been refurbished and installed.
“The challenge we are having is the ongoing construction of the Enugu-Abakaliki expressway causing relocation of high voltage lines between Nkalagu and Ntezi.
“Once the poles are fixed, the power will be definitely restored in the area.
“Also all the works in restoring the power have been completed and I commend the engineers, who were on the field for the quality work,” he added.
The commissioner frowned at the news making the rounds that the money meant for the project was being misappropriated, stating that the news was false and misleading.
“My attention and that of the ministry of power have been drawn to the claims in social media, accusing me of diverting the money approved for the restoration of power in Afikpo.
“Some of the indigenes have consequently buzzed my phone with calls, directly accusing me and the ministry of diverting the money.
“I want to state it clearly that on February 28, 2024, ₦194 million was released to the ministry for procurement and installation of eight new transformers and rehabilitation of collapsed electrical lines in Afikpo.
“The total money was ₦208 million, but after tax deductions, we now have ₦194 million.
“In addition to the eight transformers, five was also refurbished and installed in the following locations: Enohia Nkalu, Amaozara and Ozizza communities.
“A letter for the completion of works have been sent to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) on May 23 by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, followed with a joint inspection team.
“The public should note that it is the responsibility of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to ensure that energy is transmitted from one station to the other,” he said.
Oga-Ali noted that the ministry was responsible for the delayed supply of energy to Afikpo, adding that the direct works as directed by the state governor, Nwifuru has since be completed.
The commissioner, therefore, urged the people to remain calm and law-abiding as he pledged more commitment to rectifying technical issues in order to bring power supply back to the area.