Geometric Power Plant, Aba Power Limited, A Legacy That Stands Governor Ikpeazu Out.
By Sir Don Ubani; KSC, JP
Saturday(Orie)15-02-2025.
What an occupant of any strategic position leaves as legacies after his or her tenure, are exactly what will make him or her relevant in the memories of those that will assess him or her.
In Old Imo State, even Citizens that were not born during the four-year and three-month administration of late Governor Sam Mbakwe are fond of him because of the numerous developmental legacies the late sage left in areas of road infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, tourism, industries, power, and construction of Imo Airport. Legacies define leadership the world over.
By the time Dr Okezie Ikpeazu was elected Governor of Abia State in 2015, the commercial city of Aba was in a quagmire. A town that had almost completely been deserted by its businessmen because of horrible experiences of kidnapping and various forms of insecurity, was already badly confronted by the worst epileptic supply of Power.
Aba, being a headquarter of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, needed electricity to sustain its industrial and economic pursuit and relevance. Aba needed stable electricity to rebuild confidence after that horrible era of kidnapping.
Meanwhile, Geometric Power Limited, the precursor of Aba Power Limited, in which a former Minister of Power, Prof Bath Nnaji, is believed to have a major interest, was said to be having serious challenges getting started in distributing electricity to Aba Ring Fenced Area, as had been expected. The idea behind Geometric Power Limited was conceptualised in 2004 when Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, led some Officials of the World Bank on an economic survey to the commercial hub of Abia State, Aba.
The Team discovered that the major challenge that confronted productivity in Aba was unreliable supply of electricity. It was based on that discovery that Professor Bath Nnaji was asked to embark on Geometric Power Limited, which has turned out to be the first Indigenously owned private Power Company in Nigeria.
Unfortunately, sharp legal controversies that erupted between Geometric Power Limited on one side, and Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, and Integrated Electricity Limited, on who should own Aba Ring Fenced Area did not help matters. Thanks to Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, that stepped in and resolved the dispute.
Believing in the strategic importance of Power in turning around the economy of Abia State, by maximising the potentials of Aba Enterpreneurs and Artisans, Governor Ikpeazu, 2015-2023, took it upon his Administration to make Geometric Power Limited become a reality.
Governor Ikpeazu led Prof Nnaji to South Africa where they had an interface with a relevant Investment Forum. He also made sure that Abia State Government guaranteed a Loan of $50m from African Export-Import Bank, Afrexim, in Cairo, Egypt, for Geometric Power Limited.
In addition, the Government of Dr Ikpeazu bought shares in Geometric Power Limited that ran into millions of Dollars, just to make the Company overcome its initial teething financial challenges.
No matter the level of bitterness that now characterizes Politics in Abia State, any time the history of Geometric Power Limited in Aba will be written, except it would be devoid of truth, former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will not only naturally feature prominently but will surely occupy the most conspicuous spaces in the history.
It should not be forgotten that out of consciousness of Abia State Government’s investment and optimism in Geometric Power Limited, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had built two Factories in Aba, a Shoe Factory, and a Garment Industry. Who knows of what use those factories are currently?
Still on legacies, Governor Ikpeazu established the Ministry of Homeland Security. Many Abians were recruited, trained and employed in the Ministry for the overall security of Abia State. Again, Dr Ikpeazu’s Government conceptualised and created Traffic And Indiscipline Management Agency Of Abia State, TIMAAS, which helped and still helps in managing traffic and reducing indiscipline on Abia Roads, with many young men and women employed.
The above legacies, among many others, are developments that will always stand in the name of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu. They may not be erased from the annals of history, except for purposes driven by wickedness of man and vendetta.
True to the vision of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, stable Power supply has become a reality in Aba. Many Small Scale Industries that had become moribund due to unreliability in the power sector, are now bouncing back to functionality. This development has the potentials of creating employment and also stave off the challenges of youth restiveness and its attendant insecurity. Aba has, therefore, cut a different definition and Industrial image for itself. It is, indeed, a return to its glorious past.
In the face of this cheering news, it is equally important that Aba Power Limited does not allow its success or drive to sustain it to weigh down seriously on electric consumers in Aba. The use of Estimated Bill by Aba Power Limited is becoming excruciatingly heavy and discomforting to electric Consumers in Aba.
In as much as no Consumer will wish the first Indigenously owned Private Electricity Company to run at a loss, it is also expedient that the Power Company should provide its Consumers with Prepaid Metres. Prepaid Metres will help the Consumers manage their energy source very prudently.
By the stipulations of Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, it is the responsibility of Aba Power Limited to provide their Consumers with Prepaid Metres. It is financially debilitating and, certainly, unacceptable for the Power Company to demand for N133,000 from her Consumer to obtain a one-phase Prepaid Metre, while more than N300,000 is demanded for Prepaid Metres above one-phase Metre.
In conclusion, there should be mutual understanding between Aba Power Limited and Electricity Consumers. As earlier stated, running the electricity industry in Aba without providing Prepaid Metres for the Consumers will amount to exploitation that may pull some degree of resistance from Consumers. The Power Company may be avoidably engulfed in litigations upon litigations.
Sir Don Ubani is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia State and writes from his native Asa land, beautifully situated between Aba in Abia State and Port-Harcourt in Rivers State.
