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More than five NIPP power projects have been abandoned at different stages of completion in Lokoja, the Kogi capital.
Checks by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday revealed that a 330/132/33KVA electricity transmission station is among the affected projects.
Others are two 7.5 MVA and two 15 MVA power injection sub-stations at different levels of construction at Gadumo and Felele areas of the city.
The abandoned 330/132/33 KVA transmission station under construction at Zango Daji area is said to be one of the biggest in the country and it is being handled by an indigenous construction firm.
The contract for the construction of the transmission station was awarded in 2007 with a completion date of 2011.
Since then the project has suffered one setback or the other, the major being poor releases of funds.
Checks also revealed that the power transmission project site at Zango Daji might have been abandoned for a long time as weeds have overgrown the fence.
The padlock on the gate has also gone rusty.
The same observation was made during a visit to the Gadumo and Felele project sites of the four 7.5 MVA and 15 MVA injection sub-stations.
The 330/132/33 KVA power transmission station at Zango Daji is meant to serve as catalyst for economic development, while the injection sub-stations are designed to improve power supply to Lokoja.
Mr Ameen Shakur, the District Manager of PHCN in Lokoja, said that all the projects belonged to the NIPP, a separate entity from PHCN.
He, however, said that the completion of the projects would increase the injection capacity of the PHCN to consumers as it will deliver additional 55 MVA to Lokoja.
Shakur said that the distribution capacity of the unit had been on a steady increase, but its injection capacity had remained static at 35 MVA as a result of non-completion of existing projects.
“The total daily energy requirement of the business unit is 40 mega watts, whereas average daily energy allocation stands at 18 mega watts.
“A glaring shortfall of 22 mega watts,’’ Shakur said.
NIPP contractors were not at the sites when NAN correspondent visited during the survey.
(NAN)
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