Mbah to address land litigations hindering power transmission projects in Enugu

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has assured investors and the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) of his desire  to expedite actions that would address all the land litigations that had been hindering power transmission projects in the state in order to drive the administration’s industrial revolution. 

The Governor gave this assurance, Wednesday, during a courtesy visit by the management team of the TCN Enugu Regional General Manager, Engr. Emmanuel Akpa, at the Enugu Government House.

He said his administration was determined to attract investors from across the globe to the state, vowing to do everything possible to derisk investment flow by enabling the ease of doing business.

According to the Governor, steady power supply was one of the major elements that investors look out for, especially in a state seeking to improve its economy through industrialization, stressing that the administration would seize the opportunity presented by the TCN to increase the state’s megawatts to address all the impediments highlighted by the company. 

He assured that the State Government was interested in the challenges presented by the TCN and would engage the host communities and other parties in courts against the power transmission company to ensure speedy resolution of the disputes outside the court.

“We are going to look at all the pending litigations and resolve them out of court expeditiously. We are also doing this for our own interest because we want to attract industries, and power is essential to achieving that,” the Governor noted.

He added that the state had been a public service state and that the government planned to change the status quo to a private sector driven economy, stressing that it could only be possible with more electricity supply. 

“We see this as an opportunity to see how we can work together with you in partnership and how to realize our dreams of making the state one of the top 3 states in Nigeria in terms of the gross domestic product,” the Governor added.

While speaking earlier, the General Manager of the TCN, said his team was in Government House to discuss issues that were of mutual benefits to both the company and the state as they affected power transmission. 

He informed the Governor that a 150MVA 330/132/33KV power transformer which would boast electricity supply in the state was under installation, noting that the 2x60MVA 132/33KV substation at 9th Mile had been completed and awaiting commission.

He added that the TCN had commenced the building of a mobile substation close to the Nike Lake for 63MVA 132/33KV mobile transformer to further boost supply of power in the area and its environs. 

Engr. Akpa, who lamented that some of the challenges the company was facing in the state included litigations from various communities arising from right of way and the activity of vandals, appealed to the Governor for intervention.