NASS EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE ABANDONED POWER SUB-STATION PROJECT AT IBEKU IN ABOH MBAISE 17-03-24
By Sadiq Aminu The National Assembly has expressed concern over the abandonment of a power sub-station project located at Ibeku in Aboh Mbaise local government area of Imo state.
The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, Mr. Mike Etaba expressed the displeasure when he led members of the committee to an oversight visit to the project which commenced in twenty eleven.
He regretted that the non-completion of the project had led to perennial black outs experienced by the people of Aboh, Ahiazu and Ezinihitte mbaise local government areas thereby hindering socio-economic life of the people.
Mr. Etaba however expressed worry over the level of vandalism in the site but added that the House would carry out a holistic enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the abandonment of the facility with a view to ensuring speedy completion of the project.
The Representative of Transmission Company of Nigeria Mr. Rabiu Bako said about sixty percent of equipment needed at the sub-station had been procured noting that further directive was being awaited for job to continue.
The Chief Technical Officer Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Mr. Vincent Ekwekwu explained that Imo had only one functional sub-station located at Egbu in Owerri north hence the need for load shedding in most parts of the state.
The traditional ruler of Ibeku in Aboh mbaise Eze Onyekachi Ukpabi lamented the hardship experienced by the people due to power outage and appealed for speedy completion of work at the station and provision of transformers to boost electricity supply.
The Committee later visited some electricity installations across the three local government areas of Mbaise and Ngor-Okpalla local government where it directed the distribution company to address the issues raised by the people.