After 6 Years of Darkness, Minister Lights Up C'River LGA, Embarks On Electrification Of Hard-to-reach Communities

Honourable Minister of State, Power, Mr. Goddy Jedy Agba, OFR

After about six years of battling darkness, the Honourable Minister of State for Power, Mr. Goddy Jedy Agba has lit up Bekwarra local government area in Cross River State to bring succour to the people.

Bekwarra, located in the northern part of the state is one of the many rural areas that the Minister is currently carrying out projects in the state and country in line with the federal government aggressive rural electrification programme. 

In a statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media and Communications Strategy, Mr. Ofem Uket, the Minister also said that work is ongoing to provide improved power supply other parts of the state including Utanga, Amana, Bottom Hill and others all in Obanliku local government area.

He further disclosed that apart from ensuring improved power supply in Calabar metropolis, he has seen to the completion of borehole projects in Ukeme, Yache, and Gabu in Yala local government as well as Utugwang and Betukwel in Obudu local government.

According to him, "the present administration has provided an improved electricity supply to both Urban and Rural areas across the states of the federation. This is in response to the policy trust of creating employment through improved supply of electricity for artisans like welders, mechanics, factories, industries, small and medium scale enterprises and our institutions of higher learning.

Greater attention is focused in the rural areas where advantage is taken of the emerging alternative energy sources in Nigeria; particularly the hybrid solar mini- grid systems. In Cross River State, for instance, there was no electricity in Bekwara Local Government for six years, and today the area is enjoying steady supply of electricity. 

We have ensured steady power supply in Calabar. In Cross River North, some areas far away from the National Grid are being provided with the solar mini Grid electricity. Currently, a solar mini Grid project is ongoing at the Bottom Hill of the Obudu Ranch Resorts with the intention of providing electricity to the people of Bottom Hill, Agbakoko, Belinge, and Amana. These are places linking up the great tourists attractions in the Obudu Ranch Resorts".

Agba added that "arrangements with the Japanese Consortium, JAICA, for the electrification of Utanga and the Ranch have concluded. The Japanese have already dropped the relevant work materials but they have been unable to come because of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic".

Speaking about the impacts he is creating in other parts of the country, the Minister said that "in less than two years in office, the Nation has recorded successes in the power sector through major interventions. Some of the benefiting states so far, include Lagos, Oyo, Osun. Edo , Ebonyi, Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger and some satellite towns within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)".

While urging people to remember that his scope of work involves covering the whole country and not his home state, he maintained that "we should always bare in mind that Ministerial appointments are given National responsibilities, thus it is wrong to expect a Minister to completely focus on his/ her State of origin only".

The Minister pledged to remain committed to ensuring that the supply of electricity in rural and urban areas are regularized to boost economic growth and production capacity of manufacturing industries, small and medium scale enterprises, to determine a corresponding growth in the Gross Domestic Product GDP.

He averred that the Power Sector Reforms of the Federal Government is aggressively addressing the challenges of instability in the supply of electricity even as he assured that quarter the second quarter of 2021 will experience the highest power development changes in generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in the country.

Agba urged the people to appreciate the strides he has made in the country and Cross River in particular in line with President Muhammadu Buhari's power initiative since assuming office despite the negative effects of the Coronavirus pandemic which has slowed down every sector of the economy.