FEDERAL GOVERNENT INAUGURATES 240 MEGAWATTS AFAM THREE FAST POWER PLANT IN AFAM
VP, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO UNVEILING AFAM PLANT IN COMPANY OF OTHERS
BY GABRIEL OKECHUKWU, FRCN PORT HARCOURT
President Muhammadu Buhari says “AFAM THREE FAST POWER PLANT” is a major milestone achievement of the Federal Government’s privatization programme.
President Buhari who made this known while inaugurating the two hundred and forty megawatts plant in Oyigbo Rivers State, insisted that the project would boost industrialization and make power available for over two million homes across the country.
Dignatories at the event
With power share, sale and purchase agreement worth over one hundred and five billion naira of Afam Power Project signed between the Federal government and the investment company in twenty twenty, the journey to revamp the power plant was set in motion.
This culminated in infrastructure improvement, capacity recovery and plant investment to bring to reality the power project with eight triller mounted gas turbine of thirty megawatts each.
Speaking at the inauguration of the project in Afam community, President Muhammadu Buhari who expressed delight that the project saw the light of the day within the present administration, maintained that with consistent improvement, the power industry would attain self-sufficiency in no distant time.
President Buhari who was represented by vice president, Professor Yemi Osibanjo noted that the Introduction of service based tarrif and mass metering programme doubled collections in the power sector from forty billion naira monthly when it started, to eighty billion naira monthly in the first quarter of this year.
He revealed that Federal Government has also engaged in rural electrification project in parts of the country to enhance development of the hinterland.
While appreciating Federal government for revamping the power plant, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Represented by the Head of Service, Dr. Rufus Godwin called on investors to take advantage of the enabling environment and natural resources available in the state and invest in Rivers State.
On his part, Chairman of Transcorp the Investment company, Mr. Tony Elumelu who identified government’s role as creating needed environment for private sector to thrive, expressed optimism that the power project would not only create jobs, but will also lift many Nigerians out of poverty.
Similarly, the Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprise, Mr. Alex Okoh who described Afam Three Fast Power Plant as part of the gains of Federal government Privatization programme, maintained that it would solve forty percent of power challenge in the country.
The BPE Director General applauded the Federal government for taking the bold step.
With the completion of the power project in Afam, expectations are high that the perennial power challenge within the region would be reduced to the barest minimum.
