By Amos Aar
THE BENUE State Commissioner of Power, Renewable Energy and Transport, Barr. Omale Omale, has asserted that the only solution to the near unaffordable cost of petrol that is worsening inflation in the state and Nigeria at large has alternative in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Fielding questions from journalists in his office on Monday as to whether the Benue State government was devising ways of alleviating the problem, using subsidy removal palliatives sent from the federal government, Omale disclosed that the state government was stepping down the presidential initiative on CNG as alternative to the dominant use of fossil fuel to enable Benue citizens to access and afford the product, describing CNG as cheaper and environmentally friendly.
Omale said already, the Benue State Government has charged his ministry to study the initiative and understand it for better implementation and to that effect, he has attended several meetings on the alternative to fuel option approved by President Tinubu for Nigerians. He however noted that the needed infrastructure for the project was not available and that did not put Benue in category A as the beneficiary of the presidential initiative.
According to him, states like Lagos, Kogi and Nasarawa that already have CNG infrastructure have been given CNG kits but Benue which does not have the infrastructure is on another phase of the implementation where the infrastructure will be deployed.
He said the needs assessment has already been done by the presidential initiative on CNG to include the need to build sustaining infrastructure so that when they deploy the kits, there will be a facility that will refill the gas when it is time to refill.
The way out, he said, “is alternative to fuel. Once we begin to have alternative, it’s necessary that the economic interaction will definitely bring down the price of fuel. In a short run, we are living with the situation that we find ourselves but assiduously, government is concerned with how best we can deal with this situation”.
As part of other measures to cut cost of transportation, the commissioner said the Benue State Government was making projection to explore the rail option which has been carefully designed and put in the market for prospective investors to explore. He said Benue is talking with her sister states of Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kogi, Plateau and Niger, looking at the possibility of rail corridor around the North Central States so that they can have a ring that will connect all of them.
In the power and renewable energy angle, Omale said the ministry was studying to understand the new regime of power sector in Nigeria and situate it in the context of Benue State by domesticating the electricity act in the state.
“We are working with other states, more particularly, the Nigerian Governor’s Forum to put together a set of consortiums that will guide us on the transition from the old regime to the new regime where multinationals will become players in the power space.
“Our draft consideration of electricity law for Benue State is advanced. It’s part of our projection for this third quarter of 2024 to see the light of the day. If that law is made, it will clearly define the Benue State power market of what we want and how we want our power regime to operate, all with the intention to give expression to the governors concerned to granting access to electricity to our people as a catalyst to spin economic activity that will engender food security and industrial birth for Benue state”, Omale said.
He added that the law when put in place, will also establish for Benue state, a power regulation commission that will interface with generation, transmission and distribution company and set up for Benue State and begin to showcase the various opportunities in the power sector that is inherent in the state from coal to the abundant sunshine for solar energy as well explore the opportunity they have in the hydro potential.
The law, he further intimated, will set up a power council for Benue state which will aggregate experts and other professionals in the power space to advise government on the best way to address power concern in the state.
