Imo Thomas -Umuahia.
In a bid to have an independent electric power, the Abia State Electricity Bill under consideration at the Abia State House of Assembly has reached the public hearing stage.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu disclosed this while briefing the newsmen on Monday evening at Government House Umuahia on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
According to the Commissioner, the State House of Assembly would on 18th of this month conduct a public hearing on the executive bill.
Prince Kanu, who highlighted the importance of the electricity bill, stressed the need for all stakeholders to participate in the public hearing.
“All the critical stakeholders are expected to be there and make inputs on how to make the process of enacting that bill, and come up with a robust idea that will address issues of electricity in our state,”
Kanu stated.
He informed that the “Light Up Abia Initiative” is still on, saying that the focus used to be on the major cities of Aba, Umuahia, and Ohafia but now, it is going into other areas including, Bende, Ugwunagbo, and Osisioma LGAs adding that so far, the Light Up Abia Initiative has have reached 28 areas.
The Commissioner also announced that Governor Alex Otti had approved the reconstruction of the long-abandoned iconic Omenuko bridge on a federal road at Ozuabam in Arochukwu LGA, a bridge that links Abia North and Abia Central senatorial zones.
“For decades, a lot of politicians have taken undue advantage of the rickety nature of that bridge to make promises to people around that area, to date, they have never fulfilled.
“His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti has ordered that bridge be reconstructed to serve the people from that area.”
The Commissioner who said that the flag off of the project would be announced soon, maintained that repairing the bridge would be of great benefit for the people.
He informed that the groundbreaking ceremony of the Abia airport project takes place Tuesday, 17, December at Ubaha Nsulu in Isialangwa North and highlighted the economic benefits of the project to Abia residents, including investments and, tourism among others, adding that the issues of protest and agitation by few members of the host communities have been taken care of.
The Commissioner reiterated the commitment of the state government to providing security, especially this yuletide, and said that there is a need for the people to always give useful information to the security agencies.
He announced that the Abia State Head of Service, Dr. Mrs Ngozi Queen Obioma, would be retiring from service this December and disclosed that Governor Alex Otti had at the Executive Council meeting congratulated her on the quality service delivered to the state and wished her well.
Speaking on the merits of the Abia State Electricity Bill, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Mr. Ikechukwu, Monday said that the law would act as a catalyst to achieve the goal of the Governor, which is to provide access to electricity to both the unserved and the underserved Abians.
“It’s a law that will be tailored to creating the Abia State electricity market. As we know, last year, the Electricity Act 2023 was passed into law, which gives states and sub-nationals the framework and mandate to create their electricity market.
“We are looking at the full value chain, from generation to transmission to distribution. So, for Abia state, we are creating a market, an electricity market that will be competitive and efficient.
“This will help to promote industrialization. As we know, our people are gifted, and without electricity, there is no way we can achieve the social economic growth of the state, and that’s why we took this time to draft this bill,” Monday stated.
Mr. Monday further said that if passed into law, three organizations would be created from the executive bill.
“Out of this bill, if passed into law, some three organizations will be coming out of it, one will be Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority, Rural Electrification Agency, and the Abia State Electricity Fund.”
He explained that the regulatory authority would regulate all the sectors in the market, the rural electrification agency would take care of mostly the underserved, while the electricity fund would be supported to ensure that adequate infrastructure is provided and the government can intervene in cases where people cannot afford to pay the tariff.
