Tinubu to inaugurate Bayelsa 60-Megawatt IPP 

President Bola Tinubu is expected to inaugurate the Bayelsa State 60-megawatt gas turbine power plant under installation at Elebele community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Work has since progressed on the independent power project, which is a focal project of Governor Douye Diri as vital components including the eight units gas turbines, two transformers, monitors and the gas supply system have been installed.

The power plant is expected to serve the Bayelsa capital, Yenagoa and environs and attract investors to the state in order to diversify the local economy.

A tour of the facility, by journalists on Tuesday, revealed that work has progressed considerably as cables for the distribution of power have been erected. Steve Bubagha, the Site Engineer, said that they are assessing the job done so far.

Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, said that the Government had decided not to give timelines for the inauguration of the project until everything is set.

Koku-Obiyai commended the journalists for going to the site to see things for themselves and urged Bayelsans to support Government efforts to transform the State.

She disclosed that President Bola Tinubu is expected to inaugurate the project when it is completed fueling speculations of the likely date for the completion.

“We are believing that the president of this nation will come and commission the gas turbine. There are a lot of processes to tie that up, so I want Bayesans to continue to support the government.

“It is good to know because you have gone and you have seen it with your eyes, that’s what I always say. It’s not good to remain at home and criticise.

“You go and see what your government is doing; the government is doing so much, we have invested so much and I believe that by essence we will benefit from it.

“So, let us calm down, continue to believe and I know in no distant time, the light will be up as the president has been invited and you know that to invite the president is a process”, she said.

Earlier, Steve Bubagha, the Site Manager, said “We are checking what we’ve done, we have not started to test run, I don’t want to use the word commissioning, but all the bolts, all the things we’ve done, we are going back to them and cross checking. That’s what we are doing now.

On the level of work done, he said, “The turbine is a very sensitive issue, so when we are addressing the problem, we are also very, very careful what we say. You’ve been here before, you’ve seen it, and you should be able to deduce and say yes, we have achieved it however, by the mercies of God.

“We have concluded major networks well. I will not be able to tell you anything about metres. Your general assessment of this is that things are going on smoothly and that there are no hitches, technical or whatever”.