. says enery pact will boost industrialisation
The Imo State Government under the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodinma has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Orashi Electricity Company Limited to generate, transmit and distribute electricity to all 27 Local Government Areas of the State.
Nwabueze Oguchienti, the Commissioner for Power, signed for Imo State Government at the Governor’s Office with Basil Okolie, acting Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Power while Valentine Obunmeyan, a General Manager in Orashi Electricity Company Limited and Mohammed Sahid signed for the company.
Rubby Emele, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Ifeanyi Oruh, Commissioner for Rural Development and Empowerment signed as witnesses.
The agreement was tagged, ”Memorandum of Agreement for The Light up Imo Project for the Rehabilitation, Expansion, Operation and Maintenance of Electricity Generation, Transmission and Distribution Assets of Imo State Government between the Imo State Government and the 27 Local Governments Areas of Imo State and Orashi Electricity Company Limited”.
At the forum, Governor Uzodinma said “it marks the commencement of all the plans put in place to light up Imo State and ensure electricity gets to the 27 LGAs of the state on a permanent and steady basis.”
This is as he equally said that with the signing of MoU, Orashi Electricity Company Limited had been charged and mandated to embark on generation, transmission and distribution of power in Imo State.
“Government sees the project as a critical priority project that must be accomplished within record time”, the governor added.
Consequently, the governor had urged the Imo State Ministry of Power to put all necessary arrangements in place to ensure that “by the end of the year, at least there is steady power in the urban areas.”
He promised that Government would do its best to live up to the responsibilities expected of it in the agreement, both at the State and Local Government levels, and, “in return, we will expect the partners to do their part.”
“Government is not unmindful of the fact that it is going to be a heavy expenditure, but with God on our side I am sure government will be able to accomplish it”, he said..
He reiterated that Imo State needs power to revitalise ailing industries, bring in new industries, create jobs, and improve on ease of doing business and more importantly, to return the State back to what it used to be known, “the tourism headquarters of the zone.”
According to Governor Uzodinma, “by so doing the people will be empowered, life made more meaningful and our people will live longer.”
