Electricity restored in Aba after an 11-hour outage caused by gas shortage

Business a.m.

Electricity has been restored in Aba and the environs after about 11 hours, the first time the area has experienced a power failure in the last two months.

The outage, which started at 4.33 am on Monday and ended at 5.06 pm, was caused by a shortage in gas from Heirs Energies, operator of the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 17, which is a joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL).

Edise Ekong, the brand and communications senior manager at Aba Power which serves nine of the 17 local government areas (LGAs)in Abia State, confirmed the electricity restoration in a statement to the media this evening.

“We are delighted that we have resumed electricity supply from the 188MW Geometric Power Plant in the Osisioma Industrial Layout in Aba following the resumption of gas supply”, Ekong said.

Ekong, however, explained that there might not be full restoration to all its customers until hours later because of the gradual process of gas buildup in the plant.

“We expect full restoration around midnight”, he added, praising Heirs Energies “for working relentlessly to resolve the facility trip that resulted in the non-supply of gas to the Geometric Power Plant,” he added.

He apologised to Aba Power customers for the 11-hour interruption.

“While expressing regret for the outage arising from the gas disruption. We praise them for their understanding and solidarity. Many customers called us on the phone to find out if there were ways they could assist us resolve the problem.

“We will never take them for granted,” he stated.

Despite today’s blackout, Geometric Power has made history as Nigeria’s first company to supply electricity ceaselessly for 60 days, an achievement that has earned it applause from both experts and electricity consumers.

Alphonsus Udeigbo, who is leaving his position as the President General of the 22,000-member Aba Landlords Protection and Development Association to concentrate on his job as the leader of the Abia Amalgamated Traders Association, applauded Aba Power for “its continuous improvement, in line with the policy of the Governor Alex Otti administration in Abia State”.

Cliff Eneh, a former engineer with both the Texas Power and Light in the United States and the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), praised the utility for providing state-of-the-art facilities and working with a passionate and talented workforce.

“It is setting standards in the power sector,” he said.