By Eric Ugbor
ABA — PRSIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has commissioned the phase 1, 504 MW simple cycle Gas Alaoji Power station in Aba, Abia State, with the assurance that his administration was determined to provide steady power supply that  would boost the economic development of the country.

The President said:   “When I was the vice president, I inspected all the moribund NIPP projects in the country based on the negative report we had then but when I came here , I discovered that contrary to what we heard that there was no way the project would be abandoned with the amount of the government had spent on it .

“ I am happy today that the first phase of this project has been completed and other components of the second phase are already on ground and that is the focus of this administration to provide adequate power supply that would energies our micro, small and medium scale business.

“Power is key to development and without power our small and medium scale businesses cannot survive and that is why this government has decided to set up Nigeria Development Bank to support small businesses because if they are allowed to provide their own power, their income will not be enough for them to survive.”

He stated that the government was committed to the total transformation of the power sector in the country, saying it was eminent that constant power supply was necessary for the speedy economic development of the country.

Earlier, the Minster of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, said the commissioning of the project at Alaoji in the South East of the country would boost industralization, manufacturing, small and medium scale businesses and create job opportunities in the zone.