October 02, 2025
The Bayelsa State government has pre informed residents of the state that the expected power to be generated and distributed from the state’s independent power plant will not be free of charge for consumers.
The state Governor, Senator Douye Diri, made the clarification on Wednesday during his visit to the project site at Elebele in Ogbia Local Government Area, to inspect six out of the eight new 60mw gas turbines procured by the state government.
The power equipment and their accessories were delivered to the state about a week ago.
Diri, who was accompanied by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, chairman of the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Solomon Agwana, the Commissioner for Power, Kharin Komuko, and other government officials, told journalists that people of the state were upbeat about the prospect of 24-hour power supply by end of this year.
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He explained that consumption would be metered and paid for stating that his government had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Jampur Group for the establishment of a customised metering production plant in the state.
“I had given the end of this year as the deadline for this project and we are sticking to that. Hopefully before Christmas, we will have these turbines fired up and by God’s grace Bayelsa will begin to have 24 hours uninterrupted power supply.
“We are actually expecting eight gas turbines but six have arrived and I have been assured that the remaining two with some accessories will be here next week. These are the most modern gas turbines.
“Initially, we planned to have two very large plants but later, the experts advised that there could be blackout if one of them breaks down. So I had to approve the eight.
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“As you know, to maintain these equipment and the gas to fire them, even though it is on our soil, we will spend money to procure it from the company. So it is not free. For there to be constant electricity everybody must pay for it. It is pay as you consume.”
Describing the project as a dream come true for governor Duri administration, the Commissioner for Power, Mr. Kharin Komuko, said when the governor first spoke about it, there was open cynicism by critics of the government and thanked him for making good his promise.
For his part, Managing Director of the Bayelsa State Electricity Company, Engr. Olice Kemenanabo, explained the role of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, in the state’s IPP project, stating that the Electricity Act had grey areas that were interwoven to ensure that all legacy distribution companies were carried along.
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Kemenanabo, said the state and PHEDC were collaborating to avoid any legal tussle between the franchise owners and the distribution network.
He went to state that the PHEDC existing network, of over four hundred transformers in the state, would be utilised for power distribution.
Speaking on behalf of the Jampur Group, technical partners to the state electricity company, the Project Manager, Mr. Sharif Abu, described the gas turbine project as very crucial and sensitive, noting that the precise time schedule for completion would be met.
