History will be kind to you, Vice President Shettima tells Abia State Governor Alex Otti

The vice president Kashim Shettima has told Abia State Governor Alex Otti that history will be kind to him because of achievements he has recorded in governance.

The vice president made this during his visit to historic city of Aba to commission roads and Geometric power plants.

Representing president Bola Tinubu who inaugurated the historic Geometric Integrated Power Project, Nigeria’s first autonomous power plant, which will provide uninterrupted power to Aba and its surrounding areas in Abia State he was full of praises to the Abia State Governor.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, described Geometric Power as a game-changing project and praised Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, for his leadership abilities and what he is doing in Abia State, emphasising the importance of leadership in development.

According to Kazie Uko, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tinubu stated, “Today in Aba, we saw testimony to good leadership. I witnessed an outpouring of emotion, love, and support for Dr. Alex Otti.

“I was honoured to commission the hospital (Queen’s) Road, Jubilee Road, and Umuoba Road on behalf of President Ahmed Tinubu.

“Your Excellency, posterity will be kind to you. Keep the flag flying. Keep up the good work,” a visibly moved Vice President Shettima prayed.

The Geometric Integrated Power Project is a 141 Megawatt, expandable to 188 Megawatt, power generation, transmission, and distribution facility designed to provide uninterrupted power to businesses and households in nine local government areas of Abia State within the Aba ring-fenced area.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Monday at the facility in Osisioma, Aba, President Tinubu said the project demonstrated the power of dreams and the fact that where there was a will, there was always a way.

He stated that the Presidency was proud of Professor Barth Nnaji, Chairman of the Geometric Power project, for successfully bringing the plant to life despite the numerous challenges he faced over the course of the project’s 20-year development.

In his speech titled “The Power to Dream,” Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti stated that the power project has great potential for the economic and social revitalization of Aba as a preferred destination for business.

Governor Otti recalled how, in 2010, Prof. Nnaji approached him and informed him of the project’s funding challenges. Going down memory lane, the Governor remembered:

“Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to tell Geometric my story. Prof. Barth Nnaji paid me a visit in 2010, when I was the Executive Director of First Bank in Lagos. He needed the bank’s assistance to complete the project, which had been unfortunately halted two years prior by the bank that had initiated it. This bank happened to be called Diamond Bank. After receiving approval from First Bank of Nigeria for a $85 million facility, Geometric Power was unable to draw on it because it had become public knowledge that I would be returning as Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank shortly.

“When I returned to Diamond on March 1, 2011, I assembled a team to oversee the restructuring of the challenged facility and resumed funding for the project until it was completed. By the time I left Diamond in late 2014, the three General Electric turbines and the 27-kilometer gas pipeline had been installed. A variety of factors, including an ownership dispute over the Aba ring fence, the sale of the oil block where the feed gas was to come from to a new investor, and additional funding challenges, conspired to delay project delivery for nearly ten years.

“When I took office on May 29, 2023, my team and I quickly folded our sleeves and began working with Geometric to resolve the gas supply problem by directly interacting with NNPC’s top management, and we now have gas flowing to the turbines. As stated in Romans 8:28, “all things work together for good to those who love God.” I am thus pleased that 14 years later, God orchestrated everything so that the final resolution of all issues and the firing of the turbines would occur when He handed over the mantle of stewardship to me. “May His name be glorified!”

Governor Otti declared that Aba is critical to Nigeria’s and West Africa’s economic trajectory, and he urged Geometric and its customers to fulfil their mutual obligations in order for the company to achieve its goal of providing reliable power supply to the people of Aba.

“As a private sector leader many years ago, and now as the Governor of the State, I regard the Geometric Integrated Power Project as very special and dear to my heart because of the enormous potential it holds for the economic and social rejuvenation of Aba as a preferred destination for enterprise growth, family life, and leisure.

“This city is very pivotal to the economic trajectory of Nigeria and the West African region, and I knew for a fact that if we got the fundamentals right, Aba would not only be a city that makes millionaires out of dreamers, but it would also become a land of solutions to the many socioeconomic problems that assail us, including a concerning level of youth unemployment and widespread poverty,” the Governor stated.

While advising community leaders to avoid vandalism of critical supply or distribution infrastructure, he warned Geometric Power’s management to avoid any form of customer extortion, no matter what the guise. He assured the company that the government would continue to support it.

In his speech, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, praised Prof. Nnaji’s commitment and stated that he was pleased that Geometric was coming on stream while he was Minister, and expressed hope that Nigeria’s long-standing power problem would be resolved during his tenure.

The Minister, who stated that the Federal Government will monitor Geometric’s operations, urged Nigerians to maintain power facilities and report vandals.

Earlier in his address, Prof. Nnaji, Chief Executive Officer of Geometrics Power, described Geometric Power as a child of necessity, founded 20 years ago to ensure reliable electricity in Aba and its environs. He stated that the project fulfils his desire to contribute to the provision of power in the country.

Nnaji recalled his tortuous journey towards achieving the project which lasted about 20 years, and said approximately USD$800 million was invested in realising the dream. He informed that 141 Megawatts has been built.

He thanked several individuals and institutions that made the project a success, from former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Tinubu and the President of Afreximbank, Prof Benedict Oramah, who was physically present at the commissioning.

He saluted the intervention of Governor Otti, whose support, he said, started from when he was at First Bank to now that he is the Governor of Abia State. He also appreciated previous administrations in Abia.

The event attracted many diginitaries including wife of the Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, Deputy Governor, Ikechukwu Emetu; members of the National Assembly and State Assembly; Members of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers, members of the Aba business community among others.