TRANSCORP - A PANACEA TO ELECTRICITY PROBLEM IN DELTA STATE

Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp Group), is a diversified conglomerate with strategic investments in the power and energy sector.

It is a private company owned by Tony Elumelu, who is the Group Chairman.Transcorp is Nigeria's largest listed diversified conglomerate with strategic investments in the Power sectors.

It is a member of the West African Power Pool and a participant in the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Market.

Today, Transcorp Power supplies electricity to the ECOWAS Regional Market.

This depicts how MIGHTY AND POWERFUL Transcorp is. Maintaining a significant holding in the power generation and distribution sector across Africa whereas its host Community (Ughelii)and State(Delta State)are languishing in the most unfortunate and miserable state of power outage and abject state of darkness.

This state of DARKNESS is pursuing and driving away meaningful investments and investors from Delta State. 

THE PANACEA

Transcorp Power Limited's Ughelli Power Plant is a gas-fired thermal plant located in Ughelli, Delta State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It is the largest fossil-fuel-based power-generating station in the country.

With all these important roles played by Transcorp in the generation and distribution of power across Nigeria and Africa, the host community(Ughelli South) and State(Delta State) are bereft of steady power supply. And the State Government seem not to be perturbed about this anormally, irony and incongruity. The State Government seem not to be taking advantage of the privilege of having Transcorp stationed in the State.

The State Government should endeavour to have a reasonable stake in Transcorp as a shareholder to be able to persuade, if not to compel TRANSCORP, to give steady and uninterrupted power supply to the State (Delta State). THIS IS THE PANACEA TO  PERPETUAL BLACKOUTS IN THE STATE.

I feel so saddened that instead of pursuing the aforementioned panacea, to boost industrialization, which will in turn guarantee employment for the teaming unemployed population of vibrant youths in the State, the State Government is busy embarking on white elephant projects like construction of flyovers, flying hungry and jobless people to nowhere. Most of these projects may not even be completed by the initiating Government before the expiration of its 2 terms. Thereby resulting in so much project abandonments and discontinuity.

Now the big question is "WHAT DO WE STAND TO GAIN IF THE GOVERNMENT GETS A STAKE IN TRANSCORP ?"

If the government secures a reasonable stake in transcorp, it will enable the government to have a say in Transcorp to be able to compel or persuade Transcorp(which is a private company) to provide steady electric power supply to its host community and the state. We must take into cognizance that without ELECTRIC POWER, there can be no ECONOMIC POWER. If this is done, its going 

to spring up industries and allied businesses and infrastructures to foster economic growth and development. A stable electricity supply is essential for attracting foreign investments, promoting industrialization, and fostering innovation.

A typical case study is the instance of Abia State where the " smart and astute business-thinking Governor", in the person of Alex Otti, has been able to attract foreign investors into the Abia State  and Aba to be specific, with road networks to facilitate investors coherence in the state.

It can be inferred that an improved and stable power supply is vital to boost the growth of any economy. Many factors necessary for present day good living condition comes to a halt when the supply of energy stops or fluctuates. Industrial/economic development is paralysed too.

Steady power supply boosts every facet of the economy, which in turn gives economic power.

Economic power is important because a country or state with high economic power can make decisions that benefit its citizens without its freedom being curtailed by external factors.

Therefore, road networks, bridges and flyovers that successive Delta State Governments (since the creation of the State) have been embarking on, will be secondary because it cannot give u economic power. 

If steady power supply is given its rightful place and position in this state, i assure us that no state in this country would be able to compete with Delta State in terms of everything that makes life good in this world.

Conclusively with special reference to the Commissioner for  Power and Energy, i want to digressively assert that it is the right of every individual in this State, to have access to the electicity he/she is heavily paying for. Hence the need to promptly and positively responsd to this call for the good of all and sundry.

I hereby, wish to humbly seize this rare opportunity to urge the Delta State Government to wake up and do the needful by partnering with Transcorp in its operations in Delta State in order to stop this electricity problem facing the State and the Country at large. 

This is a special reference to His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State, Rt Hon. Elder Sheriff Oborevwori. It is a clarion calll to wake up and to rise up to the occassion to make Delta State a great State again and seize to be a SLEEPING GIANT. With this done, Transcorp will also be better placed to take up its responsiblity as regards Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR)  in the State.

I rest my case.

I remain 

Comrade  Okorie Samuel.