The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has said that the proposed 2X30/40 MVA substation in Akwa Ibom State would strengthen the national grid by increasing its wheeling capacity to 25, 000MW by the year 2025.
Buhari stated this on Monday in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State while performing the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the substation estimated to cost over N6.8 billion.
The President who was represented by the Minister of State for Power, Prince Goddy Jeddy-Agba, said that the ground breaking of the substation was a fulfillment of his campaign promises to Akwa Ibom State.
He said, “We are here for an official ground breaking ceremony of the construction of 2×30/40MVA substation at Ibiono Ibom. The contract for the engineering, procurement, and construction of 2×30/40MVA substation at Ibiono Ibom in Akwa Ibom State was awarded in favour of M/S Jamec West Africa Ltd with completion period of 18 months.
“The project is a campaign promise fulfilled to the good people of Akwa Ibom. I want to thank the good people of Idedep for donating the parcel of land for which the project will be sited,” Buhari said.
Buhari added that the project would improved service delivery and increase capacity to supply power to the people of Akwa Ibom and other neighbouring states stating that, “The project upon completion would strengthen the national grid by increasing its wheeling capacity to 25, 000MW by 2025.”
In his remarks, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, pledged the state government’s support to the completion of the project as scheduled.
Emmanuel, who was represented by the Commissioner for Power and Petroleum Development, Mr John Etim, commended the president for putting politics aside to award the project to Akwa Ibom.
“As a state government, we will give all the necessary support needed to ensure the completion of this power project,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Philip Okpanefe, Assistant Director (Transmission), Federal Ministry of Power while introducing the project said that Federal Government had awarded the contract for the construction of the substation to JAMEC West Africa Ltd to complete the project within 18 months, adding that the contract had foreign component and local component with the foreign component in dollars while the local component in naira.
He called on the community to cooperate and assist the contractor to ensure prompt completion of the project.
The facilitator of the project, Ita Enang, a former Special Assistant to Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, said the project when completed would enhance economic growth of the people, as small scale businesses would spring up due to availability of regular power supply .
He charged the people to protect the project, cooperate with the contractors to complete the contract within the stipulated time for the benefit of the community.
