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By Emmanuel Adeleke
Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Otu, has disclosed that his administration places high premium on energy and food security for the socio-economic benefit of the state and its residents.
The governor made the disclosure while receiving the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who was on a working visit to the state.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nsa Gill, Otu stated that energy security remains pivotal to driving every other sector of the state’s economy.
He appreciated the minister for his efforts in enhancing the country’s power sector.
“I must commend the minister for all the good work he has been doing. Ever since he came in, the power distribution has increased tremendously across the country,” he said
The governor noted that the recent establishment of four mini-grids within the state would contribute in no small measure to the socio-economic development of the state.
“We have always looked out for ways in which we can scale up power, scale up in a way that our power supply can power our economy. We are confident that pending contracts in the sector will soon be activated, and 24/7 power supply across the state is very possible,” he added.
Earlier, Adelabu explained that his visit to the state was to strengthen existing collaboration with the Cross River State government, and assured the governor of his commitment to achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
He said part of his visit was to tour the power infrastructure in Cross River and visit the governor to discuss more collaborations that can fast track the common goal of regular power supply to the state’s households, businesses and industries.
The minister further disclosed that his tour include an assessment of various power infrastructures across the state, including generating plants, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks.
He stressed the importance of collaboration between the federal and state governments to enhance electricity supply, adding that the Calabar distribution plant under the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, is the most active and most productive of the 10 power plants being run by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company.
“The plant has a capacity of 625 megawatts, and I believe it can serve the nation better with proper maintenance and public cooperation,” Adelabu added
The minister called for public co-operation, in terms of payment of electricity bills and avoiding power theft, saying such responsibilities were crucial for the sustainability of the power infrastructure.
“Our president, under his Renewed Hope Agenda, has chosen power to revive other critical sectors of the economy, citizens are expected to protect these collective assets from vandalism,” he added.
Meanwhile, the governor has performed the groundbreaking ceremony for a 365km railway to connect both the southern amd nothern part of the state.
According Otu, the project is a public-private partnership funded initiative driven by Messers Reinhoke LLC in partnership with the state government.
He stressed that the railway project is one of the fruits of the investment summit held in August 2023, at the Calabar International Convention Centre, where the state government had a robust engagement with financial, infrastructure and social investment players, seeking to buy into the growth trajectory of Cross River’s economy.
“Today, therefore, marks an important milestone in our quest to expand and diversify the stock of our infrastructure by partnering with Messers Reinhoke LLC for the construction of the Grandlito Railway Project that will run from Calabar to Obudu. On completion, the project will cover an approximate distance of 365km with main terminals in Calabar and Obudu; while three sub-stations will be located at Ugep, Ikom and Ogoja,” Otu said.
The governor added that $350 million was estimated as conservative cost for the project, noting that the public-private partnership in the provision of the infrastructure is based on funds from equity investments and debt financing from financial institutions with significant backing from Cross River State government.
He stressed that the importance of the rail project to the economic growth of the Cross River is premised on the strategic location of the state among other sub-nationals.
“Cross River is frontier to Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe. It is also home to the largest export processing zone in Nigeria – the Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ).
“The railway line will not only facilitate the easy intra-state movement, but will serve as evacuation corridor for goods and services within international borders,” he added.
He expressed optimism that the expected boost in international trade and its ripple effect will drill down the entrepreneurial spirit of residents of the state and trigger the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He enjoined the company handling the railway project, Reinhooke Investment LLC, to attach the desired seriousness in order to meet the stipulated timeline for completion.
The governor also charged communities whose areas the rail project will cut through to give maximum cooperation to the construction company, directing indigenes of such communities to, in line with local content, apply for sub-jobs from the firm based on their capacities and skills.
He reassured residents that his administration remains poised to changing the infrastructural landscape of the state through enduring partnerships.
In his address, Stanley Orji of Rinehooke Investments LLC, said the project will attract investments, stimulate job creation and encourage the establishment of new businesses such as technology, tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, as well as bolster the ease of doing business in the state.
Orji added that it will make Cross River an attractive destination for both local and international investors, adding that his company is commited to contractual obligations and project execution within the agreed timeframe.
