Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has
said that the power generated and distributed from the state’s independent
power plant will not be free and that Bayelsans will pay for the service.
Governor Diri made the clarification on Wednesday when
he visited the project site to inspect six out of the eight new 60mw gas
turbines procured by the state government at Elebele in Ogbia Local Government
Area.
The power equipment and their accessories arrived the
state about a week ago.
Accompanied by his deputy, Senator Lawrence
Ewhrudjakpo, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, chairman of
the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Solomon Agwana, the Commissioner for
Power, Kharin Komuko, and other government officials, the Bayelsa governor told
journalists that people of the state were upbeat about the prospect of 24-hour
power supply by end of this year.
He explained that consumption would be metered and
paid for as the government had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Jampur Group for establishing a customised metering production plant
in the state.
He said: “I had given the end of this year as deadline
for this project and we are sticking to that. Hopefully before Christmas, we
will have these turbines fired up and by God’s grace Bayelsa will begin to have
24 hours uninterrupted power supply.
“We are actually expecting eight gas turbines but six
have arrived and I have been assured that the remaining two with some
accessories will be here next week. These are the most modern gas turbines.
“Initially, we planned to have two very large plants
but later, the experts advised that there could be blackout if one of them
breaks down. So I had to approve the eight.
“As you know, to maintain these equipment and the gas
to fire them, even though it is on our soil, we will spend money to procure it
from the company. So it is not free. For there to be constant electricity
everybody must pay for it. It is pay as you consume.”
The Commissioner for Power, Mr. Kharin Komuko, who
also spoke, described the project as dream come true for the ASSURED Prosperity
administration.
He said when the governor first spoke about it, there
was open cynicism by critics of the government and thanked him for making good
his promise.
Also, Managing Director of the Bayelsa State
Electricity Company, Engr. Olice Kemenanabo, who explained the role of the Port
Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) in the state’s IPP project,
said the Electricity Act had grey areas that were interwoven to ensure that all
legacy distribution companies were carried along.
Kemenanabo said the state and PHEDC were working
together to avoid any legal tussle between the franchise owners and the
distribution network.
He further stated that the PHEDC existing network,
which has over four transformers in the state, would be utilised for power
distribution.
Speaking on behalf of the Jampur Group, technical
partners to the state electricity company, the Project Manager, Mr. Sharif Abu,
described the gas turbine project as very crucial and sensitive, noting that
the precise time schedule for completion would be met.
The governor also inspected sites of the ongoing
construction of the 25,000-capacity stadium at Igbogene and the nine-storey
civil servants secretariat project at Ovom, both in Yenagoa Local Government
Area.
Others who accompanied the governor were the member
representing Yenagoa Constituency 1 in the House of Assembly, Chief
Ayibanengiyefa Egba, Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei,
Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Mr. Irorodamie Komonibo, Commissioner
for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, among
others.
Daniel Alabrah
Chief Press Secretary to Governor of Bayelsa State
October 2, 2025
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