Minister Taunts Loan Critics To Visit Project Sites As FG Intensifies Completion Of Abuja Transmission Ring Projects

The Minister of Power, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, has criticized those faulting President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration frequent trends of obtaining loans and challenged them to take time out to inspect the projects being funded with loans.

Engr. Aliyu spoke after inspecting
five substations under Abuja electricity transmission Ring Projects at various stages of near completion, except one, meant to boost electricity transmission by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The projects when fully completed, he disclosed will increase the transmission capacity of TCN by 1000 mega watts.

Accompanied by the TCN Managing Director, Engr. Dr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, the Minister who was visibly dissatisfied by the frequent criticisms of the administration by publics against obtaining loans, quipped “show them, show them the projects” while pointing towards the installations at the Kuje substation to Television camera crew and Journalists.

He said: “They will be saying Loan, loan every time. But these are the projects being executed with it.”

Earlier, he explained to Journalists that the ring projects were being funded with loan of $170 million obtained from the French Development Agency.

The projects (transmission substations) inspected were located at Dawaki adjacent to Gwaripa Low Cost Housing Estate, Old Apo and New Apo substations, Kuje substation and Lugbe substation.

According to the Minister, “So, this is a project funded through a loan from the French Development Agency. It is $170 million loan. It is a federal government project started during this administration in 2018, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in its quest to raise the operational capacity of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), embarked on the project”

“This is TCN project within Abuja, called Abuja ring project as you can see that it goes round the FCT. It will add some mega watts but you have to generate the power first from the generation side which may be either through gas fired or hydro. For example, last week, I was at Zungeru to see a generation project that will generation 700 mega watts. The TCN has to take this power generated through their lines which is call the national grid.

“But intermittently, all over the country they have stations. First, they take away from the generation companies, with their 330 lines, from this, they transmit further with 132 lines.

This project, about six combines lines and substations. We have started from Gwarinpa where you saw brand new substation. When it is completed, hopefully around Nov/December, 2022. It is over 90 percent completion and the contractor is chasing the completion deadline. If it is completed, it will increase the transmission capacity of the TCN by certain mega watts if the generation comes.

“So, in all we have six of this projects which will increase the wheeling capacity of TCN by over 1000 mega watts.

“We saw at Gwaripa, Dawaki area there has been line existing from Suleja to Katampe which is 132 line which initially connected to Kubwa, but the completion of the new substation at Dawaki, it will give more electricity now to Dawaki which had been dependent on Kubwa and give support to the Kubwa substation.

“So, if you separate the Dawaki area and its environs and that of Kubwa, you can just imagine how it is going to be in terms of electricity supply in that area.

From there we saw the old Apo substation, which is an existing substation. The reason why we visited there is to see a new platform newly built there ready to receive a 60 MVA transformer coming from Siemens to that place. Hopefully within a couple of days it will arrive because it has been cleared at the Port but because of the flooding, we could not transport it.

“From there, went to the new Apo substation. This one is receiving a 330 line coming from Nasarawa. If you remember, recently we were there with the President at Nasarawa to commission a 330 substation. So, there is a line coming from there to the new Apo. From the new Apo, it will be radiated out, one coming here (New Apo), underground, which is five kilometers, other 330 will be going to close the lope between the new Apo and Old Apo and link it up there.”