Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has charged Geometric Power to strengthen its gas supply and backup arrangements to ensure that prolonged power outages do not recur in Aba, stressing that residents and businesses have now come to expect reliable electricity.
Governor Otti gave the charge on Tuesday, when he received the management of Geometric Power, led by its Chairman, Prof. Barth Nnaji, at his office.
The Governor commended the company for restoring electricity supply to Aba and its environs after several days of blackout, acknowledging the disruption the outage caused to residents, businesses and economic activities across the Enyimba City.
According to him, the public reaction to the recent outage underscored the extent to which steady electricity supply had become part of everyday life in Aba under his administration.
“I must also put on record our appreciation for the resolution of the blackout that lasted several days. At some point, we were running around, and then we got the message that power had been restored. We want to congratulate and thank you,” Governor Otti said.
He added: “It’s interesting that when power goes out for hours in Aba, people are screaming because they have gotten used to constant electricity.”
While commending Geometric Power for responding to the challenge, Governor Otti said the priority should now be to build greater resilience into the power system and eliminate vulnerabilities capable of triggering extended outages.
“What we need to do now is to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. So, we need to make it permanent, whatever it takes,” he said.
The Governor specifically urged the company to diversify its sources of gas supply and maintain adequate contingency arrangements to safeguard electricity generation in the event of disruptions to any single supply channel.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to continued collaboration with Geometric Power and other relevant stakeholders in consolidating the gains recorded in the power sector.
Governor Otti said sustained electricity supply remained critical to the state’s industrialisation drive, particularly in Aba, where dependable power is expected to support businesses, attract investment and strengthen the city’s position as a major industrial and commercial hub.
The meeting was attended by top officials of Geometric Power and members of the Abia State Executive Council, including the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, who participated virtually.