Mr Julius Chukwuemeka, Commissioner for Power and Water Resources in Anambra says Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s administration will provide regular supply of electricity and flow of pipe borne water after implementation of reforms in the sectors.
Chukwuemeka said this in an interview in Awka yesterday.
He said the government proposed to revive some of the moribund Water Schemes in the state to serve the urban and semi-urban areas at a subsidised rate.
“We intend to evolve a better model of managing them because we have discovered from our study that the major reason why these things collapsed was poor management.
“The Onitsha, Otuocha regional, Obizi, Awka and the two million Arroma water tank will be put to use again,” he said.
“So, in the next few months, you will see that some of these water schemes will go into private hands under PPP arrangements.
Chukwuemeka said private firms would be engaged by the government to manage, produce and sell water as well as generate revenue.
He said public water supply had started flowing in the streets of the industrial town of Nnewi and that it would be extended to homes while the Jerome Udoji Secretariat in Awka had also been reticulated and workers were now getting water in their offices.
“They will be metered and charged per cubic meter of water used at a subsidised rate.
“We are studying what happened at the Anambra Water Corporation; I can assure you that some of the workers there will be part of what we are doing because of the experience they have garnered over the years,” he said.
Chukwuemeka said the state intended to leverage on its enormous gas resources to complement the existing supply from the national grid.
He said the state had been having challenges of Electricity Right of Way largely because of its limited land but noted that all was set for the commencement of the substation project proposed for Umuchu in Aguata LGA.
“We have just resolved the issue in Ibughubu in Umuchu, Aguata LGA where the Transmission Company of Nigeria intends to set up a station.
He said the power transmitted from there would only serve Anambra and neighbouring states, adding that the effort would strengthen the EEDC.
“Soon, a private investor will come in to set up an Independent Power Project which will supply electricity to clusters according to demands in industrial and residential areas,” he said.
