215 Mw Kaduna Power Plant Will Revive Ailing Textile Industry – Fashola

 By Lola SERIKI- IDAHOSA, Kaduna
 The hope of resolving age-long problem of access to constant
 electricity that has crippled the once bubbling Textile Industry in
 Kaduna will come alive again, as the Federal Government has affirmed
 its commitment to the completion of the powder project on schedule.

 Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), who undertook working inspection of the
 project with Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, said that what
 is needed now more than ever before is harder work from us all, as
 issues of non-payment of invoices since 2013 will be solved with the
 2016 budget. He added that the budget had captured resources to be
 paid contractors who are already back on site.

 He said with over 150 workers in the employment of companies handling
 the project “these people will earn money that would enable them pay
 fees for their children and also provide food on their tables”.

 On the request by the contractors for government intervention in the
 clearance of goods for the project, Fashola assured them that this
 administration would do everything possible to ensure that the 40
 containers held up at the sea port are cleared.

 Briefing the Minister on the status of the project, Engr. Briskila
 Sapke, the Director in the ministry and supervisor of the project said
 the Dual Fired LPFO/Gas plant will come upstream, as the 2 units is
 scheduled for completion by 1st quarter of 2017, which will add 30MW
 to the grid, while all the 8 units will become operational by the end
 of 2017.

 Speaking at the site, Governor Ahmed El-Rufai said that the Kudandan
 Power Project is very important to the economy of the state as the
 centre of Textile Industry in the country, in which lack of access to
 power supply had crippled the hitherto vibrant industry.

 Hence, his Government will do all it can to revive the collapsed
 industry, which in a way would solve the problem of unemployment and
 youth restiveness.


 The governor recalled that previous unrest which engulfed the State
 was partly due to the closure of many of the textile companies located
 in Kaduna state.

 ”As a responsible government, we cannot but ensure that the Kaduna
 State Government is interested in the completion of the plant”, it
 only relaxed on the credit line of N7.5billion it has secured from the
 Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for the completion of the project,
 adding that his Government will not mind to revive the loan if there
 would be need to do so because the project is owned by the Federal
 Government