The Minister of State for
power Hon. Mohammed Wakil, at the weekend commissioned a N401m Power Transmission Station in Calabar and he urged youths in the country to join hands with federal government to intensify the fight against what he described as “infrastructural vandalisation” of electrical installations by hoodlums in their areas.
Wakil made the appeal while commissioning a 2x150MVA,330/132/33KV Transmission sub-station which gulped N401,255,486.10 within the Adiabo axis of Calabar Municipality Local Government in Cross River State.
Wakil stated that it was disheartening to know that some youths often connived with criminals and dubious businessmen just to sabotage federal government effort to reform the power sector adding some people could still resort to vandalizing electrical installations belonging to Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) without any form of remorse.
The Minister urged youths in the country to form vigilante groups if they were really serious to intensify the fight against vandalisation electrical installations and equipment sited by the federal government in their localities warning that only by taking such steps that the fight against infrastructural vandalism can be won.
“Let us join hands in the fight against unscrupulous vandals of power installations and individuals who persistently encroach on TCN right-of-way as well as miners of literite near the foundation of the towers,” he said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of MBH Power Ltd., Mr. B. Mukhi, stated that the Adiabo-Calabar Power Sub-station is the 9th sub-station to be handed over by their partners TCN apart from those delivered to the agencies in Yola, Karu, Kubwa, Okada, Birnin Kebbi, Gombe, Onitsha and Benin.
He said that with the commissioning of the power sub-station, power supply to Calabar Municipality and its environs is going to be highly improved adding that the issue of low voltage due to long distance 132kv transmission line from Alaoji to Calabar has been addressed
According to him, with such a development, the improved power delivery would also, positively impact on the state tourism industry as well as impact on the socio-economic activity of the State.
The project which costs about N401,255,486 was initially awarded to Alston AREVA in October, 2001 at the initial cost of 8 million pounds sterling off shore and N306,956 on-shore for a contract duration of 18 months.
The second phase mainly onshore was re-awarded to MBH POWEWR Ltd., on August 15, 2006 at a revised on-shore cost of N401,2255,486.10.
Remedial civil work by volunteers at the damaged Okani Road, Mgbuoba, Port Harcourt. Photo: Dele Obinna.
