The abandoned power project located in Abadigba, Dekina local government of Kogi State was initiated by Senator Nicholas Ugbane but was abandoned after he left the Senate. However, Senator Echocho has taken bold step to ensure it’s completion. Senator Ugbane speaks on the project in his recent interview with OBSERVERSTIMES. excerpt:
Abadigba Eletricity Project supposed to be one of Senator Nicholas Ugbane legacy having initiated the power project for the benefit of people of Kogi East. It is a multi billionaira project conceived by 6th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but was not completed before the end of the 6th Senate. But before the end of that legislative session the Abadigba power project had gone 70% completion. That level of progress and achievements was reached because in the 6th Senate (2007-2011) Senator Nicholas was the chairman senate committee on power.
Abadigba Power project was initially planned to be located at Agbeji, a town before Anyigba, but after due consultation with late Ogohi of Anyigba, it was agreed by stakeholders to be in Abadigba a town between Anyigba and Egume. Though the site in Abadigba was occupied by people already with Arable trees , building and farms, all the properties were fully documented by the authority of Power Holding Company of Nigeria PHCN and Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN representing the ministry of power and steel.
The processes was supervised by the Senate committee on power and steel under the chairmanship of Senator Nicholas. The Senator ensured adequate compensation are paid to owners of those lands where the project is sited before the commencement of installation of equipment.
The Scope And Dimension of Abadigba Power Project.
The concept was to connect Abadigba power station to Geregu in Ajaokuta, Kogi state and also connected to Oji River in Enugu state. It was envisioned that with both sources providing power to Abadigba station, there will be an end incessant power failure regularly witnessed in Kogi East and eventually solved the Eletricity problem in that senatorial zone
When completed and put to use, the Abadigba Eletricity project has the capacity of serving part not only Kogi East, but also part of Benue state, Nasarawa state. The contract was awarded to Omen Engineering Company Limited based in South East after meeting up with necessary requirements of the ministry of power and criteria’s of PHCN , with the supervision from the Senate committee on Power who also put pressure on the company to ensure timely completion of the project in accordance with the terms of contract. Funds were advanced to the installation company by the Federal government through the ministry of power and steel , following pressure from the Senate Committee of power which had Senator Nicholas Ugbane as the chairman. The company promptly moved to site and commenced work in earnest. It is on record that the contractor ordered all materials including giant Transformers from abroad and were all delivered to the site with 59 trailers that conveyed the materials down to Abadigba in Dekina local government area.
The installation of the tower, that will connect the light to that of Geregu and Oji River also required compensation the indigenous people of Alade that were living along the power line. They were equally compensated accordingly by the federal government through the supervisory effort of the Senate committee on power then .
Reflecting on the project in an interview with Observerstimes, Senator Ugbane stressed that the project has became an abandoned project because his predecessors failed to see to the continuity of the project. The former Senator lamented that his successor Senator Attai Aidoko didn’t do anything to follow up the project and it was abandoned to the extent that there was an attempt by Geregu power company to move some of the equipments and was largely resisted through the community vigilant effort.
The Senator commends Jibrin Isah Echocho who made case for Abadigba on the floor of the senate recently and tasks him to ensure the case is pushed to a logical conclusion saying the project that is 70% completed and required just 30% to make it useful to the people of the zone.
Commenting on his case with EFCC, the Senator said the case has nothing to do with the Abadigba power project. He said, “the Committee was petitioned based on solar Eletricity projects which so many part of igala land, part ofKogi west like, Kotokarfe, Isonlu and other part of igala like , Ajiolo, Abocho, Idah, Onyedega, Ugwolawo etc benefited.
OBSERVERS TIMES recalled that even Chaiman House committee on power Hon Ndidi Elumelu was also accused and both were later discharged and acquitted by the court of competent jurisdiction.
The former Senator Representing Kogi East, Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane also joined in applauding the steps taken by Senator Echocho towards the completion of the abandoned Abadigba power project, because we also believed that on completion, the prevailing poor electricity supply to Kogi East shall be over, and will see to the improvement in local economy in the Senatorial zone.
