After over 10 years of blackout, Ondo South senatorial district, comprising six local government areas, would be connected to the national grid in few weeks time.
Chairman, Ondo South Power Project Committee and Oniju of Iju-Odo, Oba Festus Olumoyegun, disclosed this on Thursday.
Oba Olumoyegun, who spoke while briefing Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on efforts of the Committee to ensure power is restored to Ondo South, said progress has been made to reconnecting the district to the national grid.
The Oniju of Iju-Odo said electricity would be gotten from the Omotosho Transmission Company of Nigeria.
Consultant for the power project, Engr. Idowu Desmennu said the move to restore power to Ondo South began in 2018 and assured that power would start to radiate in the area by the end of November.
Desmennu said: “We have met with NDPHC, we have signed a power purchase agreement with the community and the NDPHC. By the grace of God, by Friday (today), we are going to pay N371 million as a security deposit for power we are taking.
“We have over 10,000 prepaid meters that we are ready to take off with. Our programme there is also involving different value chains.
“In Okitipupa and Irele local government areas, none of the transformers are working except three in Okitipupa. We are going to replace all the transformers so that they can have electricity. Where we don’t have enough, we put there. Where we have bad ones we change them. Because without these things it can’t work.
“Now, there are some areas where there is no network, we have planned to do it. I want to tell you that from the day we started, we have not collected a kobo from Ondo South and we will not collect a kobo until after three months when the power starts to roll.
“It’s a new thing and all thanks to Engr. Ife Oyedele who availed us the opportunity of the 5% of power being generated in Omotosho power plant that can come to the community. We pleaded for it and the community is now distributing it.
“By today, TCN has been given the instruction to give us all the support we need. And I believe between 15th and 30th of November power will start to radiate and by December and January, we will be welcoming you and the Vice President to come and commission the project.”
Akeredolu said the power blackout in Ondo South has always been a major concern for his administration and Vice President Yemi Osibanjo.
According to him: ”Nobody is happy that the South has been in darkness for so long. But it is not a thing within the power of what the state can do. What the state can do is to mount pressure on those who are in charge.
”As you know, we have our Ore Power Plant which belongs to the state. It is getting ready as all pipes for power transmission are being laid. We will get one leg to supply light to the South and the other leg to supply light to the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo,” he said.
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