BY AUGUSTINE AVWODE
Bayelsa State Government and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board have entered into a purchase agreement to ensure regular power supply to the Government House complex in Yenagoa and environs.
NCDMB operates a 10-megawatt gas-powered independent plant located at Elebele in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.
At the signing ceremony inside the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House on Wednesday, Governor Douye Diri described power as crucial to the development of any society.
He noted that the state was blessed with abundant gas resources, which had been largely under-utilised.
He stressed that his administration was determined to use the resources of the state for the benefit of the people.
The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, said the importance of power cannot be over-emphasised as it has the capacity to improve the economic fortunes of any society.
Governor Diri appreciated the NCDMB management and other partners that made the agreement possible, saying it was a sign of good things to come.
The state helmsman called on private investors to explore the abundance of natural gas in the state, saying the government was ready to partner with such investors to make power and other amenities available to the people.
He called for the metering of power consumers so as end estimated billing and make payment of bills easier and more acceptable by people of the state.
His words: “My administration is committed to providing power to people of the state. One of the first creations of God was light. So, we are delighted to talk about power.
“We have taken bold steps and today is one of the manifestations with this agreement. I call on private investors to explore the abundance of gas resources in the state. We are ready to partner with them. My administration is poised to provide power to light up Bayelsa State.
“I commend my brother, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, for his sagacity and commitment to impact on the environment of his organisation.
“Let me also appreciate the Nigerian Agip Oil Company and other partners that made this possible. We must pay for power. Even in Freetown, nothing is free.”
In his remarks, the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Simbi Wabote, said the event marked the formal execution of the power purchase project.
He described the agreement as a major milestone given the importance of power to government and the state at larger.
Wabote noted that with the agreement, it is clear the state can enjoy uninterrupted power supply given its huge gas deposits.
He said Bayelsa has the capacity to produce 1.5million standard cubic feet of gas daily as the state with perhaps the highest gas deposit in the country.
