Electricity: President Jonathan’s village in blackout for a year

Poor electricity supply has affected most parts of Bayelsa state, with Ogbia, Brass, Nembe and Southern Ijaw local government areas the worst hit.

Otuoke, the village of President Goodluck Jonathan in Ogbia Local Government has been without electricity for over a year. The same fate befalls the university community at the Federal University Otuoke in the area.

On Monday, Bayelsa State governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, tasked the sworn in commissioner for the newly created Ministry of Power, Chief Partner Jim-Ogbolo to take advantage of the abundance of gas in the state to drive the state to self sufficiency in power supply, as well as create jobs for the teeming youths in the state.

The governor, who gave the charge shortly after the swearing in of new commissioners, challenged the commissioner for Power to use his expertise to work towards ensuring that the state becomes number one in terms of electricity supply.

The state Chief Executive said his predecessors made huge investments in the sector, and asked Chief Jim-Ogbolo to ensure that projects under his ministry were completed as well as convert the potentials in the power sector to wealth and job creation in the state.

“This state wants to be number one in terms of provision of power. I want you to drive the power agenda. My predecessors in good faith, all invested heavily in power generation. There are several gas turbines that are not utilized and so, it is your duty to break that jinx. This is the state of gas. This state has more gas resources than any other state, so it is your duty to convert these potentials to create wealth and job opportunities for the state.

“Under my leadership, we have also invested in a number of initiatives. One of such initiatives is the Four Power, which is owned by four states in the Niger Delta. We have set up the Bayelsa State Electricity Company Ltd and several other initiatives in order to safeguard what I call, ‘our energy security and our future’ in an industrialized and competitive world.”

He called on the new commissioner to streamline the policies and programmes in his ministry and generate new ideas to place Bayelsa state as the number one in power generation and move the sector forward.

The state government said it is spending over £800,000 (N230m) to refurbish a broken down gas turbine that is supposed to serve the area and other nearby local government.