Bayelsa Electricity Company And Jumboogois: Facts Behind Idumange's Fiction

 

Since the Miracle Governor, Senator Douye Diri took office to lead the State through the pathway of prosperity, a pattern of hostility by one John Idumange towards the good intentions of the administration has properly been established by keen watchers of events in the polity.

It could be recalled that shortly after  assuming office in 2020, John Idumange, a one time General Manager of the State's flagship Radio Bayelsa 97.1fm station during the immediate past governor Seriake Dickson's administration, wanting to shore up his waning social capital, embarked on vitriolic allegations and attacks of Gov. Douye Diri's young administration. 

One of such allegations which, as with others from him have never been substantiated, found him spending some time at the Yenagoa Correctional Centre in Okaka.

Of course, nobody is asking this self styled social critic not to contribute his own quota to the development of his dear state through his desired medium (criticism). No!

Courtesy, however, demands that when doing what he feels he knows how to do best, he should, at least, back up his allegations with verifiable facts that will not be contested anywhere.

One equally expects that while desiring to criticize government on policies or programmes he may not be comfortable with - which of course is his right - rather than pander to the whims of his unseen sponsors/ backers, Idumange could as well be celebrated if his criticisms are constructive enough to be appreciated by the government.

A case in point is John Idumange's current criticism of the Prosperity administration's determination to effectively put an end to the intermittent provision of electricity. 

Idumange's grouse is about Gov. Diri's administration's engagement of Jumboogois Global Services Limited which has been mandated to refurbish the near moribund Kolo Gas Turbine at Imiringi.

Jumboogois is to maintain, manage and sell energy produced from that facility at no cost to the government and Idumange says that the company, incorporated in Yenagoa in the year 2015,  has no record of previous job performance.

Were it not for the sake of the Bayelsa/Nigerian public who needed to know the truth but who could be misled by the unsolicited ranting of John Idumange who rational thinking persons have described as one that gets his daily bread by blackmailing existing government or it's agencies, this response wouldn't have been necessary. 

However, to clarify one or two issues identified in Idumange's allegations about Jumboogois Global Services Limited engagement by government to revamp, manage, maintain and sell power to consumers through PHEDC.

 it is necessary for the public and particularly, the ignorant John Idumange to know that the said company was chosen to undertake it's current assignment after a rigorous bidding process with other companies. 

Jumboogois met all relevant conditions that placed the government in a win-win siuation.

Jumboogois, apart from revamping the Gas Turbine will also, in the ensuing bargain, establish an Electricity Meter manufacturing company with the view to, not only making such Meters available to Bayelsans, but also ensure the  eradication of the incidence of "crazy bill" which electricity consumers have, for so long, been made to experience in the hands of Power Distribution Companies in the country.

As has been clearly stated here, the win- win situation for the Prosperity Administration is on account of the fact that, aside from the provision of the existing structures of the Gas Turbine at the Kolo Creek Station, the government is not paying a dime as any form of counterpart funding to the company to do the work.

 In addition, whatever  revenue that will eventually accrue when the whole gamut of the contract comes into being, Bayelsa State government will have her equity share. 

These, aside other attractive incentives, are the facts that the serial "where belle face" critic, John Idumange failed to realize in his ripost against the prevailing contract to bring sustainable light to Bayelsa.

To crown it all,  Jumboogois is coming with highly qualified and reputable foreign technical partners who have been found to achieve remarkable successes in the energy sector internationally. 

As have been done elsewhere, they are poised to make a success out of  Gov Douye Diri's Prosperity  administration's determination to bring sustainable and affordable power to Bayelsans.

By 

Engr Steve Bubagha Jr

Director of Operations

Bayelsa  Electricity Company