As Zulum receives Mele, NNPC announces power plant for Borno

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), will partner with Borno State Government to establish Gas Power Plant in Maiduguri, to create alternative access to power supply.

NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari announced this on Friday in Maiduguri at a courtesy call that came after meeting with Governor of Borno, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.

Kyari, who led a high powered delegation to Borno, said the Federal Government will not fold its arms and neglect the state which hah been ravaged by insurgents, especially cut off from the national grid, as power is a source of income to the  people of the state.

“We are here with my colleagues, the Head of Gas and Power Business, Engineer Yusuf Usman, Representatives of Greensville Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which is a company that delivers Gas to our Power plants and industries across the country, officials from the Distribution Company of Nigreia among other stakeholders.

“Our essence of coming to Maiduguri is to join you to resolve power problem in Borno, particularly Maiduguri metropolis and its environs in the next three and maximum four months." Continued Mr Kyari.

“It is Mr President Muhammadu Buhari’s cardinal principles to deepen gas power consumption in our country, particularly on our domestic markets.

“And that the easiest way to that is to deliver gas to power and to ultimately to industries. Mr President has declared this year as the Decades of Gas for the next 10 years. That means there is going to be sufficient gas entry into our domestic markets and industries.

“We have seen the opportunities and the challenges faced by the people in this part of the country, and it is pertinent to support your people have light restored back to this city.

“We as partners in the value chain have sat and talk to ourselves and agreed to team up to establish a dedicated power plant in Maiduguri which will serve the current need of power supply not only in Maiduguri but to other parts of the neighboring cities.

“So we are glad to work with your Excellency to ensure that infrastructures needed for this project are provided within the shortest possible time.

“We are going to operate in a short term to see that within three to four months maximum time restore power back to Maiduguri through installation of Gas power plant”. Concluded the GMD

Responding, Governor Zulum thanked the NNPC GMD and other delegations for the visit, especially on the restoration of power  to Borno state.

” We are very happy to recieve you for this important visit, because power is very dear to us.

“On behalf of Government and people of Borno state, we appreciate NNPC for the good support rendering to our people under your leadership as GMD.

“Since you assumed office as GMD, we have recieved tremendous support. Few months ago, you have performed a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of 200 -bed capacity Infectious Hospital her in Maiduguri, in addition to the ongoing construction of Medical Diagnosis Centre.

“We have also received alot of humanitarian support from some of your agencies, and we remain Internally grateful to you and your subsidiaries.

“Today’s event can change the entire narratives of our own state. Power is very essential. With power, we can reduce the magnitude of the insurgency, because millions of people are earning their means of livelihoods through the use of  power.

"I've seen during the fuel crisis, at the filing stations how entrepreneurs, especially market women and others going with their small fuel powered machines to the filling stations queuing for them to get one liter, two liters with a view to running their own small generators."

"This insurgents came and destroyed our energy distribution lines that has cut off Borno state  completely from power supply for about two months. When the power was restored we've seen the joy from the people of Borno state, jubilation the restoration of power to Borno state, that entails the importance of power to us."

 "After 48 hours, again the structures were destroyed, we've no any other altanatve than to proper other solutions rather than the grid lines a because it's very difficult to guad all the poles.

"We contacted the NNPC and other agencies, we're glad that have you here for this purpose. If this information goes to the ears of the people of Borno state, they will be very happy." Concluded Zulum.

Zulum therefore promised that his administration will do everything possible to support NNPC and all other agencies needed to establish Gas Power Plant in the state.

Note: This news is written from an original report by Ndahi Marama for Vanguard newspapers.