The minister of power, works, and housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has called on the youths in the Niger Delta to emulate the chairman of Transcorp Power Limited and Transcorp Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu who has invested in the region.
Speaking at the recent commissioning of a 115-megawatt gas turbine in Ughelli, Delta State by Transcorp Power Ltd, Fashola commended the company’s rare initiative saying the youths of the Niger Delta must recognise that nobody could be more Niger Delta than Elumelu.
“He has chosen to invest here to support our collective growth as well as impact lives positively. So, every time you take away gas from this plant, you are hurting one of us; you are hurting one of your own and you are losing opportunity,” he said.
In his remarks, the president and chief executive officer of Transcorp Plc. Mr. Emmanuel Nnorom, said the commissioning is one of three milestones the generating company intends to achieve in order to increase the power plants total generating capacity to 850 megawatts.
“This by all standards is truly an impressive feat considering the fact that the plant had a total generating capacity of 160 megawatts when it was acquired by Transcorp Power Limited, barely three years ago.”
As remarkable as the commissioning was to those at the event, the plants CSR initiatives and commitment to empowering those in the host communities that surround the Ughelli Power Plant managed to gain equal applause.
Transcorp Power Limited finds itself in a unique location on the border of three communities namely Ekakpamre , Ekrerhavwe and Eruemukohwarien.
This has not stopped the company from pursuing development initiatives that have benefitted all three.
Since 2014 one capital project is undertaken annually in each, based on the recommendation of the communities themselves led by their traditional rulers.
Nnorom described the initiative as proof of the company’s commitment to a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with the host community.
Also, the chief executive officer of Transcorp Power Ltd, Kalyana Sundaram explained that the company sustained community development relationships with host communities.
“We awarded contracts for three projects—secretariat, town hall and teachers’ house—in 2017 which will be beneficial to the communities upon completion. The projects are in various stages of completion.
“Also, in line with our empowerment drive, we continued with the “on the job” artisan program under which six artisans were admitted in two batches with each of our host communities nominating two artisans into the program. This corporate social responsibility initiative is an undertaking the company intends to expand on as it moves forward into the future,” he said.
Responding, the governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa commended the power generating company’s CSR initiatives saying “anything done in the empowerment of Niger Delta youths will ultimately deplete the pool of candidates that could be attracted to negative activity.”
