Geometric Aba ring-fenced power to spur industrial growth
By Godfrey Ofurum
The takeover of Aba ring-fenced power generation and distribution area by Geometric Power Limited, promoters of the independent power plant in Osisioma area of Abia State, will ignite industrialisation in the entire South-East region and Nigeria at large.
Andy Ubah Obasi, former president, Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), made the observation in an interview with Business a.m in Aba.
According to him, “The feeling of the business community is that this is long overdue. Most people know how useful and beneficial power is to industrialisation. Geometric has always been there for the past seven years and the business community has been anxiously waiting for this and we anxiously and graciously hope that it happens this time,” he stated.
On how Geometric can be marketed in the midst of other alternative sources that have sprung up during the long years of legal tussle to take over Aba ring fenced power area, Obasi noted that it will be left for Geometric to show the Aba business community what they have to offer.
“If not for the issue that came up between EEDC and Geometric, there wouldn’t have been a vacuum for people to seek alternative sources of power. But I’m happy that Geometric coming in would reduce the burden faced by manufacturers in Aba.
“If they show us what they have and the evidence is there that they have more reliable power and the tariff is also good, so many people will switch to their system. It is difficult to walk up to someone and ask him to change from what he is used to without authentic and concrete evidence.
“Our job as Aba Chamber of Commerce is to gather all the facts and present it to the business community and they in turn make their decisions. We can’t force anybody on what to do,” Obasi explained.
He advised the Aba business community and everyone else to give the company adequate support, so as to meet the commencement date.
“My advice to everyone is that we should stop being a party to pointing fingers, we should make a conscious effort towards solving a problem.
“So, as Geometric has come in, we all should come out and give them adequate support, so that the take off time will be realised. I’m sure that as they have come in there’s going to be some requirements and some things they expect from consumers.
“It could be in the form of documentation. So, we should all come out honestly and give them that adequate support,” he appealed.
Bart Nnaji, a professor and chairman/chief executive officer of Geometric Power Limited, was recently at ACCIMA secretariat to sensitise the Aba business community on the plans of his firm for Aba..
He explained at the meeting that Geometric, would provide constant and efficient power supply to nine local government areas of Abia State, namely Aba North, Aba South, Osisioma, Obingwa, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East and Ukwa West.
To solve the power problem faced by industrialists and other residents of Aba, he explained that Geometric has built 140 megawatts of power plant in Aba with four additional sub-stations, to add to the three already in existence before they arrived, making it seven sub-stations in Aba and its environs.
He also revealed that Geometric has its own gas pipeline straight from Shell – a 27 kilometre pipeline from the power station to Shell at Ukwa.