Abia to look into Geometric, EEDC imbroglio

Abia State government says it is making efforts to ensure that the issue between Geometric Power Limited, promoter of the independent power plant in Aba, and the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) is resolved to ensure constant power supply in the commercial city.

Aba is currently faced with incessant power outages, which had further stifled economic activities in the area.

Industry sources revealed that Aba with over 150 manufacturing concerns in full operations in 2005, cannot boast of 30 flourishing manufacturing firms in 2016, as the rest closed down, largely due to lack of power.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, at a forum organised by the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), said his government would liaise with the Federal Government to bring Geometric and the EEDC to resolve the Aba ownership issue, with the view of allowing Geometric Power Limited exercise its license to generate and distribute electricity in Aba.

According to the governor, who was represented by Henry Ikoh, state’s commissioner for industry, science and technology, Geometric has the capacity to provide constant power supply in Aba and its environs.

“We cannot understand why somebody will invest so much money to improve power and another person, who does not have capacity to provide constant power supply in the area, will be collecting money from residents.

“We will work with the Federal Government to bring all the parties in a roundtable to resolve this problem, with the aim of providing constant power in Aba, because business cannot thrive without constant power supply, “he said.

Geometric Power Limited in 2004 signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Government to build a power plant in Aba, and a year after in April, 2005 signed the Aba concession agreement also with the Federal Government, which gave it right to distribute power to Aba.

However, this arraignment was jettisoned during the privatization exercise conducted by the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), which mistakenly included Aba ring fenced area in areas under EEDC.

The BPE has however corrected itself, by acknowledging “Aba Power Limited (owned by Geometric) has a subsisting contract to generate, transmit and distribute power in the Aba and Ariaria districts of Enugu Disco for 20 years”.

With over $500 million investment in electricity infrastructure, Geometric Power limited is guaranteeing 95 percent uninterrupted power supply in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State and its environs.