MD, Ibom Power Company Ltd; Engr. Meyen Etukudo.
By Anietie Akpan
For some days now, Akwa Ibom state has been in total black out causing so much hardship to residents and businesses. In the hit of this, the Managing Director of Ibom Power Company Ltd; Engr. Meyen Etukudo, threw some light on the issue.
His words:
Nigeria’s power sector is a value chain. What that means is that different companies have different roles. One company cannot do the work of another otherwise it will be violating its operating license.
There are gas companies, power generation companies, transmission company and distribution companies. Gas is the fuel for some power generation companies like Ibom Power Company Ltd. Ibom power is licensed to ONLY generate electricity.
Transition Company of Nigeria (TCN) transmits the power to distribution companies like Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution PLC.
It is the distribution company, like PHEDC, that gives power to customers directly that’s why it’s the name of PHEDC that’s on the electricity bill not Ibom Power. So, Ibom Power cannot repair transmission lines for TCN because transmission lines belong to TCN.
According to the MD of Ibom Power, Engr. Meyen Etukudo in a recent interview, the gas supplier to Ibom Power, Savannah energy, is conducting a maintenance on its gas pipeline so it cannot supply gas to Ibom power.
Since there’s no gas, Ibom power plant is currently down until the gas is restored. When Ibom power is down, Akwa Ibom receives power from the national grid ONLY through the Aba – Itu transmission line. That line is old, so in the process of transmitting power from the national grid into the state, it snapped, that is, there was a disconnection.
Since Ibom Power is down due to lack of gas supply and the transmission line that brings supply from the national grid is also down, there is no source of power supply to Akwa Ibom state, hence the power outage for some days now.
TCN is working on the line. Ibom power is waiting for Savannah energy to complete their maintenance and restore gas supply while PHEDC is waiting for to get the power from Ibom power or ther national grid or to distribute in Akwa Ibom State.
There is the need to re-conduct the old transmission line between Aba – Itu which is the only source of power supply from the national grid to Akwa Ibom State. The line was constructed in 1978. So it is old, that’s the reason it snaps occasionally when transmitting power.