The
Federal Government has awarded a N31.2 billion contract for the
evacuation of electricity from the 40-megawatts capacity Kashimbilla
Dam in Takum local government area of Taraba.
The
Minister of State for Power, Mr. Mohammed Wakil, disclosed this to
State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council
meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan. Wakil said
that the project was awarded to SCC Nigeria Ltd with a completion
period of 18 months.
“Approval
by council, the contract for award for Kashambila Dam; that is the
power segment of 40 megawatts. The amount is N31.2 billion in favour
of
Messrs SCC Nigeria Ltd.
By
the time we add 40 megawatts to the national grid it is going to
complement the existing power that we are generating in the country.
“Apart
from the fact we are also going to gain from the 40 megawatts this
will now also lead to creation of employment in that community. While
we can have the formal and informal employment, engineers, artisans
and others will benefit from this. Further to that we will also have
additional, in terms of economy benefits, be it agriculture,
irrigation and many others; by the time it is completed it is going
to help us a lot.
“And
it is in line with the transformation agenda of Mr President to
reform the sector.”Information minister Labaran Maku also added
that the contract approval followed a memo tabled before the council
by the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo.
“The
company had already installed the turbines in the course of the
implementation of the project. But the infrastructure for evacuating
power from Kashimbila Dam to various communities of the North East
and indeed North Central had not been awarded.
“But
as progress on the dam approaches completion toward the end of the
year, the minister of power came to council with a memo proposing a
contract for the evacuation of power from the dam.”
Vanguard
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