By Abdullahi Abdulrahman, Yenagoa
National News – The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) says the 60 megawatts Gas Turbine plant set to be commissioned on April 10, 2026, is not a lasting solution to the problem of electricity in Bayelsa State.
The Chairman of MOSIEND Central Zone, Comrade Tari Zidougha, stated this in an exclusive interview with National News.
He said while the gas turbine project will go a long way in sustaining the capital city, Yenagoa, it will not be able to supply sufficient power to the entire state.
The Ijaw youth leader advised the government to expand its vision to achieve uninterrupted power supply in the state by building more turbines or reactivating others that have been dormant.
According to him, Bayelsa is experiencing constant economic growth, and for that, it would take much more for the state to generate enough power that will grant it autonomy from the national grid.
“60 megawatts cannot carry the whole state. Bayelsa might be small, but it’s a fast-growing state. We have a lot of businesses and individuals that heavily depend on electricity,” said Zidougha.
He also noted that lack of proper regulation of electricity usage in the state is mildly deterring the efficient management of its power output.
“The regulation of power usage by the populace is seriously lacking. As an individual, you’re stepping out in the morning and all your security bulbs and appliances are turned on.”
“Some persons even leave home for weeks or even months without realizing that they’re wasting energy. At the end of the day, they start fighting the power supply companies over the kind of bills presented to them,” he added.
Zidougha urged the government to adopt a metering system in regulating electricity supply in Bayelsa in order to maximize the usage of power output in the state.
He emphasized that solving the issue of power supply in the state will greatly boost the economic and infrastructural growth of Bayelsa.
“This is one project that will considerably support the growth of Bayelsa in the sense that where there is stable power, companies and businesses will thrive, which will in turn create job opportunities, automatically reducing the rate of criminality in the state,” he said.
Commenting on the issue of security, the Central Zone MOSIEND Chairman highlighted that any government project that is sabotaged or vandalized is an insider job.
“If groups like the Bayelsa State Vigilante, MOSIEND, IYC, and many others are fully engaged and adequately compensated, these people will be on ground 24/7 and nobody will be able to go there to vandalize any government property,” Zidougha said.
He stated that every heinous act carried out in the state cannot escape the radar of these respective agencies, and perpetrators who refuse to adhere to protocol will be dealt with accordingly.
Furthermore, Zidougha expressed immense gratitude to Governor Douye Diri for his commendable efforts in trying to take Bayelsa off the national grid, but added that there is still room for the government to do more.
