By Fred Akpewe
Since this week when Senator Ned Nwoko issued some statements in the residence of General Mike Ndubuisi( Rtd), concerning the Okpai IPP project, some mischievous persons have made it a duty to create Political capital out of it.
In the first place it should be noted, as Senator Ned noted himself, that he takes his mandate very seriously. The Okpai IPP project which is being developed by Nigeria Agip oil ,NNPC, Conocophilips and EniPower has been a thorny project resulting in several delays. The expansion plan for Okpai IPP was designed for an additional power generation provided by means of a combined cycle gas turbine plant with two gas turbine generators and one steam turbine generator located 60km south west from Onitsha in Delta State , close to the River Niger.
The approved expansion of the phase 2 of the Okpai IPP project to increase the plants existing power generating capacity of 480MV by a further 450 MV to provide a total 980 MV output into the National power supply grid has been concluded. This 980MV output has not benefitted Delta North as there has to be a 100 megawatts step down so that Okpai and other communities in Delta North can begin to enjoy electricity generated from the catchment area. All efforts to make the Federal Government and its relevant agencies to effect this step down has been difficult, hence the need for the Delta state government to step in to do the needful.
To situate the importance of the project to Senator Nwoko further, the Senator had sometime this year paid a working visit to the Minister of Power of Power, Adebayo Adelabu and the Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Ahmed to find a quick way to fix this lingering Okpai IPP project. The Managing Director of TCN identified lack of funds as being the primary obstacle to the project completion for the benefit of Delta North people
For the past 19 years since the Okpai power plant was commissioned, Senator Nwoko appears to be the first Senator from the district to spearhead a pragmatic approach towards the speedy implementation of the project to serve the people from Delta North.
It should be noted that as far back as 2005 , the former President, Chief Olusegun had commissioned the Okpai IPP and directed that the plant provide 50 megawatts of electricity to benefit the host communities within a 50- Kilometer radius from the project. Even this has not been complied with let alone implement 100 megawatts which should serve a larger number of communities in Delta North
It is in realization that the Okpai IPP will serve more of the interest of Delta state that Senator Ned Nwoko approached the Delta State government to fund and complete the project for use by Deltans.
There is nothing new in a state government funding a private or Federal Government project if it serves the interests of its citizens.
The 167 Kilometer Asaba – Ughelli Expressway is a Federal road but has been funded by the Delta state government from the administration of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan (who initiated the project) till today. Aviation is in the exclusive Federal list but the Emmanuel Uduaghan administration built the Asaba airport for the benefit of Deltans. The Delta state government also at a time assisted in the development of the Osubi Airport by constructing a second runway measuring 3700 meters even though the Airport was built and managed by SHELL. We also know that the administration of Sheriff Oborevwori had intervened in the reconstruction of the Benin -Warri expressway when its dilapidation became unbearable for the primary users in Delta state.
It is therefore complete hogwash for some ignorant persons to say that Senator Ned Nwoko ought not to have asked Governor Oborevwori to help fund the project on the grounds that it was not a state project.
The Okpai IPP project is not the only project in Delta state that is agitating the mind of Senator Ned Nwoko. The Ogwashi Uku dam which is being handled by the Federal Government has suffered several hiccups. Yet the project, though a Federal Government project will benefit Deltans, specifically Ogwashi Uku and other 60 adjoining communities for purposes of water supply and farm irrigation amongst other benefits.The project has been handed over to Benin-Owena Basin Authority and they are waiting for the Delta State government to do their own part , which is the water supply component of the project.
The hand over letter of the Ogwashi Uku dam to the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA) with a clear request for Delta State to do their counterpart funding is contained in a letter written to Senator Ned Nwoko by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation dated 26th June , 2024
Senator Ned Nwoko has been working hard to ensure that the Federal Government hands over the project to the Delta state government,as the only panacea to its speedy completion.
Another project in Delta North which is dear to Senator Nwoko, heart is the proposed Asaba-Oko-Okpai-Aboh- Patani road which will naturally improve coastal commerce on that axis and also lessen travel time for traders wishing to do business in Onitsha and the Eastern bloc and vice versa.
Senator Ned Nwoko had earlier requested Governor Oborevwori to do this coastal road but on refusal the Senator had to lobby NDDC Management as a member of the senate committee on NDDC before the sum of about N30 billion was put in the 2024 NDDC budget for the coastal road
Senator Ned Nwoko has refused to accept the continued denial of support for critical life changing projects for Delta North on the excuse of paucity of funds judging by the quantum of funds accruing to Delta state from the Federation account and even the state,s Internally generated revenue (IGR). The Senator has sensed that Delta North was being shortchanged in comparison to other Senatorial districts and especially Warri where about 100 billion naira was being invested to build bridges, cloverleaf and road expansion networks being handled by Julius Berger.
Senator Ned Nwoko finds it worrisome that as the only PDP Senator in Delta State currently, the Delta state Governor refuses to accede to requests to fund critical infrastructure in his constituency
A Senator by every stretch has the right to recommend important projects for the benefits of his people, especially when the Senator belongs to the same Political party as that of the State government. One year has gone and the Delta State governor has not approved any one project for Senator Ned Nwoko for his constituency of Delta North, despite persistent requests.
What that tells us is that there is a deliberate attempt to undermine Senator Ned Nwoko for reasons that would soon become apparent
So the question to ask is whether tthe people of Ogwashi Uku and other adjoining communities are no longer Deltans? Or is Okpai not in Delta state? Are the intended primary beneficiaries of the Okpai IPP project, and this time Delta North indigenes, not Deltans?
What is the primary purpose of government? Is it not welfare and security of its citizens?
We should all look critically at the points of policy and approach disagreements between Ned Nwoko and Governor Oborevwori based on the aforementioned scenarios and not to impute some nebulous political reasons as being responsible for Senator Ned Nwoko,s significant remarks.
Fred Akpewe
Media Analyst
Writes from Asaba