From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has boasted that the state will generate its electricity when the draft electricity bill and policy is finally passed into law.
He stated this in Ilesa during the flag off of the construction of 33KV feeder line in Obokun Local Government of the state.
According to him, the 33KV, feeder line, when completed, will be supplying electricity to part of Ilesa West (Omi Aladiye, Akad) and other neighboring communities along Ilesa-Osogbo road, 95% of towns in Obokun Local Government, Igbajo in Boluwaduro Local Government as well as Kajola and Osunjela in Atakumosa West Local Government.
He said, “We have a robust plan to transform the state energy and electricity market through appropriate policy and legislation. I am therefore elated to repeat that Osun has a draft electricity bill and policy which will expand power generation and distribution.
“The policy and the bill when finally passed into law will change the face of Osun electricity space. Being so blessed with many rivers and solar assets, we will generate our electricity. We will issue licenses for those capable of generating electricity. We will regulate our power distributor, the Ibadan disco. We will manage the relationship between power generators and purchasers. The new plan will create a regulatory agency for the state power sector,” Adeleke said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Energy, Festus Adeyemo, noted that the project was awarded on 25th January, 2013 with 30% funding released to the contractor before It was abandoned due to non- funding and lack of interest by successive administrations.
“The state government under Governor Adeleke was deeply alarmed by the total blackouts being experienced in Obokun Local Government as a result of the dilapidated 33KV feeder line that supplies electricity to the community/towns in Obokun Local Government from Ilesa,” Adeyemo said.