Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, on Tuesday, launched the National Mass Metering Scheme of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) in order to ensure metering of all customers in the state.
Ortom performed the ceremony in Makurdi when he received the Chairman, Board of Directors of JED, Alhaji Inuwa Babangida, and his delegation.
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The governor, who noted that power supply remained the life wire of any organisation as it played a vital role in wealth creation through provision of employment opportunities, lamented that obsolete cables had been the bane of steady electricity supply in some parts of the state.
He also appealed to the management of JED to ensure local content in their recruitment exercises to help provide effective security for their facilities, assuring that his administration would partner the organisation for effective result.
Ortom however commended the Makurdi branch manager of the company for his commitment and dedication to duty, even as he appealed for extension of the 33KVA line to Industrial Layout in Makurdi to encourage production.
Earlier, the Board’s chairman, Alhaji Babangida, explained that JED under his leadership would invest over N800 million on the land given to it by the state government and replace obsolete cables with galvanised steel towers to boost electricity supply in North Bank suburb and other parts of the state.
He informed that the mass metering scheme expected to be executed in phases has 28,000 metres to be distributed in Benue in the first phase.
Babangida added that JED had budgeted resources to improve electricity supply in Benue and other states under its franchise, stressing that the support of the Benue State government was key to actualise the plan.
