The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Monday, performed the groundbreaking ceremony of a solar power project to supply 24 hours of electricity at the Nigerian Army Military Hospital in Benin City.
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Obaseki, who spoke to journalists after the official inauguration of the project, said the facility will be delivered and commissioned within the next 60 days.
The governor who was represented by his deputy, Omobayo Marvellous Godwins said the government remains committed to proffering a lasting solution to the power problem in the State.
He said, “I had cause to felicitate with my people in Edo North for the Sallah celebration as this is my first official assignment as Deputy Governor of the State. I am grateful to God Almighty for this. This is historic as God has perfected the plan that it will be in a healthcare facility and it means so much to me.
“The Commander while speaking was looking at the running cost of the project. The cost of energy, when reduced, will go a long way to help reduce the running cost in the facility. It will save the cost of diesel and will reduce the burden.
“We have a mortuary, equipment and human resources here at the Military Hospital Benin, and energy (electricity) is required to run 24/7 services. There should not be downtime at all. This project here in this hospital is timely and needs to be approached with all sense of seriousness. I have no doubt at all in my mind that in the next 60 days, we should be close to commissioning this project.”
On extending the project across all councils in the State, the governor noted: “It’s a laudable project and as an administration, we need to sit down with the 18 local government chairmen across the State to see how to positively design such projects so it can be extended across the State.”
He added, “We have a very good plan for the State and have gone more than 70 percent in its execution. I am sure we will finish well as a government.”
On his part, Commissioner for Mining and Energy, Engr. Enaholo Ojiefo noted that the project is a collaborative effort between the Edo State Government and the Military, adding, “The Commander approached us to appeal to the State Government to work and collaborate with them. We see our people coming here, especially the pregnant women, who come for healthcare services. The governor instructed us to ensure we support them with constant electricity.”
The Commissioner continued: “By tomorrow, the team will be here, followed by the panel installation. We are looking at a month plus for the project to be completed and ready. We have one of such project working in Eyaen already. There is a 1MW facility at Aduwawa and this will be another 1MW.”
Earlier, the Director of Military Hospital Benin, Brig. Gen. Pauline Olubunmi Aburime, who identified poor power supply as one of the greatest challenges facing the hospital, said: “We explored all forms to ensure we have constant power supply. We wrote to the Military authority, met with Discos, and interacted with the Edo State Government to see how to prioritize power.
“The state government agreed to kick start a solar project to support us and improve our electricity supply to the hospital which will surely improve our services. I thank the Edo State Government for their proactive response.”
