Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has resolved the lingering dispute between Geometric Power and Enugu Electricity Distribution Company that has hampered the delivery of electricity in the Aba and Araria axis of Abia State.

This is coming as the minister revealed that the hydroelectric power plants in Jebba broke down on Wednesday night, a development that resulted in power failure.

Both Geometric Power and EEDC had been involved in claims and counter claims over the ownership of assets in the region since the privatisation of the power sector in November 2013.

Speaking at the formal signing of agreements between the two firms, Fashola described the occasion as symbolic in the sense that the Federal Government had demonstrated the efficacy of common sense.

To the people of Aba, what is important is to emphasise the fact that they need more power for the fledging manufacturing concerns. Within one Disco, it is possible to have more than one actor and this portends hope as more opportunities are around the corner, he stated.

The minister said Nigerians should realise that the country needed to generate more electricity, hence additional energy would be required for incremental power generation as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari at the last Economic Summit.

Buhari had stated that the sector should produce additional 2,000 megawatts before the end of this year.

Fashola also revealed that all the four turbines of the Jebba Hydroelectric Power plant broke down on Wednesday night resulting in power outage.

The representative of EEDC, Adetokunbo Kayode SAN, commended the Federal Government, particularly the office of the Vice President, for finding a lasting solution to the crisis.

More mutually beneficial business relationship has finally emerged from this resolution, he said.

Prof. Bart Nnaji of Geometric Power also noted that a major test of the vision of the private sector-driven electricity industry was that crises in the sector were being resolved amicably.

Sometimes when you win in court, you will not find peace. But through negotiation, you find peace in the service of community, he said.

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