By Muhammed Nasiru Adejoh.
The Deputy Majority Leader of the Federal House of Representatives and Member Representing Ankpa, Omala and Olamaboro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims has moved a motion on the Need for the Federal Government to construct 330/132/33KVA X150mva, 2X60MVA transmission Substation at Anyigba to improve electricity supply in Kogi East.
In a motion moved on the floor of the House, the House Deputy Leader noted that Kogi East is one of the strategic zones of the State as it shared borders with Enugu, Anambra, Edo and Benue States.
He also noted that Kogi East is the zone that Houses Quarry Industries and other government institutions like Kogi State University, General and Zonal Hospitals, cassava processing mills, commercial banks etc, the need for a high stable power supply cannot be overemphasized.
Rep. Halims expressed worries that “as strategic as this zone is to the State and the country, the zone cannot boast of steady and regular power supply; and concerned that as important as these facilities are, if a transmission substation is not constructed to boost the distribution of electricity in the zone, the facilities will be underutilized and become dilapidated”.
After questions were put to and agreed upon, the house unanimously agreed and resolved to: (i) urge the Federal Ministry of Power through its Agency, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to ensure the provision of Fund for the Construction of 330/132/33KVA 2x150MVA, 2×60MV A Transmission Substation at Anyagba in 2024 Budget Estimates; and (ii) mandated the House Committees on Power and Appropriation to ensure compliance (when Constituted).
Earlier, while seconding the motion, the Member Representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State, Hon Chinedu Ogah, added that the motion is a significant matter of public importance in its entirety. He stressed that the financial burden of substituting electric power supply is not easy for most small scale businesses which rely on power for production and called on distinguished Honourable colleagues to support all the prayers of the mover of the motion.
It can be recalled that in late 2020, through his membership of the 9th House Committee on Oil and Gas Resources, Rt. Hon. Halims appealed to the Niger Delta Power Holding Company to review its neglected National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) substation in Anyigba before a change of leadership occurred at the Niger Delta Power Holding Company.
