Publisher of Democracy Newsline Newspaper, Chief Olugbemi Femi has called on Governor Ododo Ahmed Usman to emulate Abia state and commence the process of building a geometric power plant to provide an alternative source of power to the epileptic Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) service in the state.
He argued that it has become obvious that AEDC can no longer serve its purpose that is currently doing 5 hours supply per day. He pointed out that to assist the people to stimulate the local economy, the power sector must be fixed.
He disclosed this in a chat with newsmen in Lokoja where issues bordering on the erratic power supply of the AEDC in recent times have gone worse at a time when the weather is not friendly.
He said since the federal government has opened up the sector by amending the constitution moving both generation and distribution of electricity from the exclusive list to the concurrent list whereby the state can legislate on it and also establish its own power generation and distribution company to cater for the electricity needs of the people of the state, pointing out that the time is now for the Governor to act in that direction.
According to him, for immediate intervention, Governor Ododo should find a way of tapping from the excess megawatts being generated by Dangote Cement Company in Obajana, and other companies like Mangal Cement in Iluagba to distribute to communities around, stressing that according to the information provided by Dangote when he visited the factory last year, the company have excess power but due to the existing law then, they cannot distribute, stressing that such bureaucracy has been lifted with the passage and signing of the electricity bill in Nigeria.
He also noted the opportunity in the Geregu power plant, being the host state, certain megawatts should be reserved for use in Kogi state, stressing that if all these are harnessed, he believes Kogi state will become the hub of industries even with its proximity to the federal capital territory, Abuja.
Olugbemi said Kogi state is desirous of an international airport, even if it is cargo, as that singular opportunity will connect the state directly to the international communities, and since the state is an agrarian state that produces farm products in larger quantities, it can be airlifted directly from the state to any destination in the world.
He concluded by saying the time is now to find an alternative to the AEDC that prefers darkness to light.
