PROSPERITY GOVT DETERMINE TO IMPROVE POWER SITUATION FOR SME GROWTH IN BAYELSA STATE: HON. TONYON EBITEI COMMISSIONER FOR POWER & WATER RESOURCES.

TRACKING_____As part of efforts to encourage Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) for economic growth, the Bayelsa state government has reiterated commitment to provide adequate electricity in the state.

The Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Hon Tonyon Ebitei Robert who stated this during inspection tour of power sub-stations and other facilities within Yenagoa and its environs, said the prosperity administration is poised to tackling the prevailing power situation to provide conducive environment for businesses to strive.

Hon. Ebitei noted that, the exercise was designed to have first hand informations and challenges confronting the various power sub-stations and other facilities in the power sector and proffer solutions to ensure steady power in the state.

According to him, provision of stable electricity services to households would not only improve the living conditions of the people, but also creat new businesses and jobs openings that will in turn provide more opportunities for individuals to earn an income and lift themselves and families.

Speaking at the Ovom and Swali one, two by seven point five Mega Volts Ampa (MVA) power injection sub-stations, the Commissioner who was accompanied by the permanent secretary of power, Mrs Ebiere Flora-Ndoni Gabriel,
Engineer Obiri Cladius, Director of power and other heads of departments lamented at the level of vandalism perpetrated especially at the Swali station, where armoured cables, transformer oil drilled out and vital parts of other equipments carted away.

Also, at the Kolo Creek Gas Turbine power station, Imiringi, Ebitei Tonyon who is the immediate past commissioner for Special Duties Bayelsa Central, now the commissioner of the commissioner of power and water Resources described the level of vandalisation and other act of sabotage carried out in the station as pathetic and unacceptable.

Condemning the high level of public property theft and vandalism in the area in a strong term, the Azuzuama born grassroot politician calls for all hands to be on deck, ” if we must enjoy stable electricity supply and also cautioned PHEDC to step up their operation by making prepaid meters available to Bayelsans.

He however used the opportunity to called on community leaders and stakeholders especially places where government major facilities are situated to be proactive and more concerned about the protection of such projects to serve the people better.

While responding to staff request to look into the sorry state of the administration building and other critical issues affecting the smooth running of the gas turbine station, the Commissioner assured them of his determination to relay all that was observed and recorded back to the governor for possible actions.

In view of the delicate situations in most of the project sites visited, Hon Ebitei Tonyon says, further consultations would be made with stakeholders in the sector to achieve desired goals.

Speaking shortly, after conducting the Commissioner and his entourage round the facility, the station manager of the Kolo Creek Gas Turbine, Imiringi, Engineer Robert Idumangi and Venerable John Markson, Chairman National Association of Electricity Employees, Bayelsa state council expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for finding time to visit them and assured him of staff readiness to work collectively to bring back the station to full operation.

The duo highlighted some of the challenges to include lack of operational vehicles, working tools, office equipments among others.

Engineer Idumangi and Venerable Markson who expressed confidence on the Governor Douye Diri led prosperity government to turn around the station back to its old glories, however, described the Commissioner’s visit as remarkable and sign of good beginning in the station.

Main while, there was no record of vandalisation and theft at the Opolo and Ogboloma Injection Power sub-stations visited with experts saying, if properly serviced and handled, the two National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) owned facilities could give adequate electricity to a greater part of Bayelsa state pending when the others would be rehabilitated and put to use.

However, a brief stop over at the Yenagoa transmission station at Gbarain, by LNG owned by Transmission Company of Nigeria with one hundred and five mega watts capacity, revealed that out of over one hundred percent power available, only about thirty to fourthy percent is being consumed by Bayelsans with over sixty percent left unconsumed.