S'EAST STATES ACQUIRE MAJOR STAKE IN ENUGU POWER COMPANY

Governors of the South-East states have acquired majority stake in the Enugu Power Distribution Company to improve power supply in the zone.

Anambra State Governor, Dr. Peter Obi, who is the chairman of the South-East Governors' Forum, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the end of their meeting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State on Sunday.

Obi said in a statement issued at the end of the meeting that the governors had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a private company to partner with the states on the project.

He added that the governors urged the Federal Government to urgently intervene in checking erosion and flood disasters in the South-East.

'This should be in line with the Federal Government's declaration that it is an erosion and flood disaster zone and given that the report of a committee set up on the matter is ready and awaiting implementation,' he said.

According to the governor, the South-East governors are concerned about the poor quality and slow pace of work on most of the federal roads being rehabilitated in the zone.

'We called on the Federal Government to prevail on the contractors handling the projects to improve on the quality and pace of work in the interest of citizens of the zone,' he said.

Obi noted that the governors would continue to sustain the effort to ensure the security of lives and property of people of the zone and thanked security agencies for their cooperation.

'We use this opportunity to earnestly thank the government and people of Ebonyi State and the Nigeria Police Force for quelling the disturbances arising from the recent communal clash in the state,' he said.

The governor also said his colleagues thanked Acting President Goodluck Jonathan on the way he had been piloting the affairs of the nation and urged him to continue.

Meanwhile, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria has lamented vandalism of power installations in the country, saying the development posed grave threats to power supply.

A statement by the Business Manager, Osogbo District, PHCN, Mr. James Osikoya, on Sunday, urged members of the public to promptly report cases of vandalism to security agencies.

Signed by the Public Affairs Manager of the company, Mr. Timothy Adesanya, the statement urged security agencies to step up security around power installations across the country.