Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has lauded the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), for taking prompt action to finalize arrangement for the distribution of power from the Akurba 330KV substation across the state.
Governor Sule handed down the commendation when he hosted a high level inspection team from the head office of the AEDC in Abuja, at the Government House, on Wednesday.
The governor described the arrival of the AEDC team in the state as the fastest response since administration started making contacts to expedite action to complete the project, with the team, led by Engr. Samaila Jibrin, arriving barely 24 hours after his fact-finding visit to the Abuja office of the power company.
Governor Sule recalled that he had cause to visit the AEDC head office, to find out the preparedness of the company, that will be responsible for distributing power from the Akurba substation to every part of Nasarawa State.
According to him, with the Akurba substation about to be completed, with the conductors and couplets that were being awaited already on ground, the substation can be powered, especially that the line-in is ready.
He disclosed that, he took it upon himself to contact officials of the Nigerian Custom Services, alongside other government agencies, to hasten the clearance and delivery of the conductors, with the Akurba power substation now ready to be powered.
The governor, however, noted that his administration was concerned about the capacity and readiness of AEDC to distribute the power across the state, hence the need to visit the head office of the company in Abuja.
“The responsibility of taking that power from the substation to distribute it to various customers across Nasarawa State remains with the AEDC.
“That was why we visite the AEDC to see their readiness. Do they have the right transformers, conductors that would such power coming from the substation?,” He sought to know.
Governor Sule who couldn’t hide his excited, commended the management of the AEDC for acting promptly by dispatching its inspection team barely 24 hours after his visit.
He explained that the technical team will spend one week to ensure they carry out inspections to check out their various structures and to make sure they have the required capacity to supply the state with power.
Governor Sule expressed satisfaction that the AEDC management has assured him the company have in stock all the required structures that the company can go ahead and start connecting.
“You have roughly one week to carry out the inspection. After that, you will probably start with Lafia, the direct benefiaries of the Akurba power substation.
“Let’s start with Lafia. Let there be power everywhere,” he directed.
The governor further directed that AEDC should give the power to the people of Lafia first before supplying power to the Government House.
“Let the people of Lafia be the first to benefit, so they can experience the change from the 132 KV from Abuja,” he stated.
Earlier, leader of the AEDC inspection team, Engr. Samaila Jibrin, recalled the visit by the governor to the head office of the company, where the Managing Director of the power firm, promised to set up a high level inspection team, in order to update the company on all aapect of what is required to have successful transmission of power after the commissioning of the Akurba power substation.
“That is why we are here. We are going across not only Lafia but the entire state. And we have been given the mandate to submit a report to ensure that that the company swings into action,” Engr. Jibrin said.