Delta Communities Kick As NGC Halt Its Diesel Power Supply For Long-term Gas Turbine Project

The people of Inikorogha, Azama, Opuedebubor and Tebujor/Okpeleama communities in Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South West Council, Delta state have expressed concern as the management of Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), subsidiary of NNPC discontinued its palliatives diesel powered electricity supply to its host communities.

Both the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company Limited (NGPTC), Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) are sub-units of the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).

The communities played host to these companies in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Council.

The communities, in an open letter signed by Christopher Ejoh, Captain Kingsley Binama and Chief Steady Ebiyai, to the management of the company claimed that NGC had suspended the power supply to the host communities following an ongoing mini gas turbine project in the area.

The communities said that NGC as a gas prospecting company had over the years, as part of its corporate social responsibility to the people provided electricity to the host communities through diesel powered generator plant.

But following a recent mini gas turbine project, the company reportedly stopped the palliative electricity supply measure to all the host communities ostensibly to cut cost pending when the gas fire generator project is completed.

The communities said the development is causing them serious economic hardship as their people solely depend on the power supply from the company to earn a living.

“The absence of electricity since the stoppage of the contract has paralyzed economic activities in our communities and in turn increased the suffering of our people”, the letter read.

While appealing to NGC to continue its “tireless efforts in ensuring the gas fire generator projects becomes a reality”, the people said that diesel powered generator contract should continue while the company go about finishing the turbine project.

“However, we using this medium to appeal to you not to completely forgo the existing diesel generator power supply we were enjoying before now, as it has become our only source of livelihood”.

They said it would be a disservice to deny them of the diesel generator electricity supply because of a long-term mini-gas turbine project.

They urged the management of NGC not to consider it a waste to keep maintaining electricity in the communities because, according to them, the company have been tremendously impacting lives, keeping afloat small and medium scale businesses in the communities through the project.

“We are therefore pleading, you use your good office to consider our plight. Our communities are truly in a dare need of this electricity to keep our social economic lives afloat since the rivers are populated with crude.

“Already our social economic lives is almost completely gone because of lack of electricity, which has almost crippled everything good in our communities as almost everything about our daily lives in the riverine communities is tied to the electricity project being sustained by NGC.

“This is one of the reasons we jealously guard your facilities in our domain all these years”, the letter read.

Corroborating this, chairman of Inikorogha community, Christopher Ejoh said that series of appreciation letters acknowledging the gesture have been sent to NGC, saying that it would be very hard for the people to adjust if NGC continue to refuse giving the contractor the go ahead to light up the communities.

When contacted, NGC spokesman, Darlington Samuel declined comment on this report, saying he is not competent to speak on the issue.

However, finding revealed that the diesel generator electricity supply was a federal government project to the host communities that was reviewed for a more robust and sustainable gas powered generator plants that would serve the entire area.

Industry source said that the contract for the projects have since been awarded and work has reached appreciable level, hence appealing to the communities to endure for the project completion.