Anambra signs MoU for steady power supply

ANAMBRA State Government is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with foreign company for generation of 400,000 mega watts for steady power supply in the state.

  Gov. Willie Obiano disclosed this at a one-day public forum organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) at Nnewi on patronage of made-in-Nigeria (Nnewi) goods and services. 

  The governor, who was represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Public Utility and Water Resources, Sir Victor Meju, at the occasion, maintained that the present government in the state was committed towards giving ndi-Anambra a better life.

  Governor Obiano, who noted that his administration has over 400 transformers to the state with 12 of them allocated to Nnewi as the commercial hub of the state, said that the current government in the state had recorded its facilities that have been left moribund over the years.

  He urged the communities in the state who have not gotten their own transformer under his administration to write to his office through the Ministry of Utility and Water Resources immediately for urgent attention, stressing that those people in the state who were using two mega watts can be subjected to embedded or stand along system.

  The governor spoke on the intention of his government to retrieve the transformers donated by the state government from the communities who were unable to install  them on December 31, 2019, equally called on ndi-Anambra to report any case of vandalisation of electricity cables to EEDC or security agency around.

  In his address of welcome, the state Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Charles Nwoji stated that it has become very imperative that Nigerians be mobilised to consciously embrace and imbibe a mind set that encourages  citizens’ patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods and services as a critical step towards development of a vibrant economy in the country.

  He argued that the economy of any nation grows rapidly when locally made goods and services are promoted through local patronage and export and identified the people’s vicious preference to foreign goods and services as one of the major factors that retrogress the quest for industrialisation and sustainable economic development in Nigeria.

  The Chairman on the occasion, Sir Boniface Obi and President-General of Otolo Nnewi, described the theme of the programme, “Patronage of Made-in-Nigeria (Nnewi) Goods and Services/Exhibition of locally manufactured products,” as apt and charged the people to form the habit of patronizing locally produced goods in the country with a view of opening the window of employment and development of the nation’s economy.

  In a paper presentation with the title, “Strengthening the Place of Nnewi in the Nigerian Economy: The role of Government,” Dr Mrs Uju Ezenekwe of Economic Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, represented by Dr Geraldine Nzeribe of the same department, called on Nigerian Government at all levels to swing into action and stop paying lip service to patronage of made-in-Nigeria Goods and services with a view of strengthening the Nigerian industries to take a pride of place in the nation’s economy.

  In separate speeches, the EEDC representative from the zonal headquarters of the company in Enugu and of Communication Department of the Company in Enugu, Mrs Patience Ezeagu and her network manager EEDC counterpart in Nnewi Ugochukwu Emmanuel ,

opined that as at today, Nigeria can only generate only 15,000 mega watts, adding that out of which that the five states in the South-East use 4.265 mega watts which they said was not enough to ensure steady power supply in the zone.

  For him, the Deputy Director Programme NOA, Awka, Sir Joseph Uchendu, maintained that there is need for a generation plant to be cited in the South-East to grant 24hours power supply in the area, especially in Nnewi and thanked the traditional ruler of Nnewi, Igwe Dr K.O.N Orizu for his constant collaboration with NOA in implementation of its inspiring programmes in the state.