Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has said the death of Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Herbert Wigwe in 2024 almost affected the state’s gas-powered electricity project.
Governor Diri disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary Daniel Alabrah during the “Feast Day Cultural Fiesta” of St. Mathias Catholic Church in Amarata, Yenagoa.
According to the governor, discussions on the electricity project started during his first term with Mr Wigwe before the banker died in a plane crash.
“I started this electricity matter with Access Bank and the late Herbert Wigwe. At the point we were to sign an MoU, Wigwe came to my country home in Sampou, and we agreed on everything. Then he left for America, and that was the last of him,” Diri said.
He said another proposal was later made to deploy a ship-mounted power plant to Yenagoa, but he insisted on a land-based system that would use Bayelsa’s gas resources.
“I told my dear friend I do not need a ship on our waters to supply power. I want electricity on the ground here in Yenagoa. We are very rich in oil and gas, and I believe it could be achieved through gas turbines,” he said.
The governor stated that the gas turbines commissioned by President Bola Tinubu on April 10 were already undergoing test runs in parts of Yenagoa.
He said electricity supply had reached the Opolo axis and was extending towards the Niger Delta Development Commission headquarters area, with plans to extend supply to Kpansia and other areas.
“Our gas turbine project is not dead as some insinuated. It was actually in its final stages,” he said.
Diri explained that the power plant was electronically controlled and designed to provide electricity to homes in the state.
He, however, said the project faced challenges due to weak transmission lines belonging to the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC).
“The only challenge we have is that the PHEDC lines are very bad. The moment power is supplied from our plant, the lines fail, particularly in areas where the wires are broken. And because our power system is electronic, it trips off,” he said.
The governor added that engineers were already working to upgrade the lines and improve the system.
