The story of Rt. Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu’s involvement in Nigeria’s power sector occupies a significant chapter in his legislative career. His engagement with electricity infrastructure was not confined to parliamentary rhetoric; it encompassed legislative oversight, investigation of public expenditure, advocacy for electricity infrastructure, distribution networks, substations, transformers and interventions directed at improving electricity supply across the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency.
When Elumelu entered the House of Representatives in 2007, he was appointed Chairman of the House Committee on Power and Steel, a position he held from 2007 to 2010. The significance of this appointment lies in the fact that he assumed responsibility for a sector central to Nigeria’s industrialisation, economic productivity and social development.
One of the most consequential aspects of his tenure as chairman was the House’s scrutiny of expenditure in the power sector. A committee established in January 2008 examined spending on power projects between 1999 and 2007. Contemporary reporting on the committee’s work stated that approximately US$13.278 billion had been expended during the period examined. The committee raised questions concerning procurement processes, project execution, pricing, contractual arrangements and the progress of several projects, recommending, among other measures, the termination of 13 contracts, review of 10 projects and investigation of about 15 contracting and consulting companies.
Beyond legislative oversight, Elumelu has consistently identified electricity infrastructure as an important component of his constituency interventions. He facilitated the development of electricity distribution networks and substations across Aniocha/Oshimili. Among the locations he identified were Onicha-Ugbo, Issele-Uku, Issele-Mkpitime, Illah, Ukwu-Nzu, Okpanam Junction, the Ogwashi-Uku axis and five separate substations within Asaba. These are attributable to Elumelu’s achievements in his stewardship.
The five substations in Asaba are particularly important in understanding the scale of the electricity infrastructure he facilitated. They formed part of a broader attempt to strengthen electricity distribution within the rapidly expanding Delta State capital and its surrounding communities. Existing technical records also demonstrate the strategic importance of Asaba within the regional electricity network, including major transmission and injection-substation infrastructure.
Another intervention in Elumelu’s achievements was the BEDC infrastructure in Asaba, including the construction of a permanent office building for the Benin Electricity Distribution Company. He facilitated the project after securing the land and ensuring completion of the building.
Closely associated with these interventions was the procurement and distribution of 1,000 transformers. Elumelu facilitated the procurement of transformers for communities within the constituency as part of efforts to reinforce electricity distribution and address inadequate transformer capacity. In practical terms, transformer availability is crucial because electricity generated and transmitted at higher voltages must be appropriately stepped down before it can be distributed for residential, commercial and community consumption.
He facilitated a 330KV transmission-line substation that steps down at Agbor, as well as a 132/33KV transmission-line substation between Ibusa and Asaba, which is valued at approximately ₦9.6 billion. These interventions, if considered alongside the distribution substations and transformer programme, illustrate the different layers of the electricity value chain from transmission infrastructure to distribution facilities and ultimately to community-level electricity supply.
There are also earlier records of electricity-related constituency projects associated with Elumelu’s representation. He facilitated projects in several communities, including transformers in Asaba and other parts of Oshimili South, a PHCN step-down facility and PHCN district office at Okpanam, and electricity-related projects in other communities. These historical records should, however, be distinguished from independently audited evidence of project completion.
Elumelu’s parliamentary interventions did not end with physical infrastructure. In September 2021, he sponsored a motion concerning allegations of overbilling, tariff increases and non-compliance by electricity distribution companies. The House subsequently mandated its Committee on Power to investigate the allegations and address issues affecting electricity consumers. This represented another dimension of his engagement with the sector: consumer protection and regulatory accountability, rather than infrastructure alone.
In November 2021, he also sponsored a motion concerning prolonged electricity deprivation in communities within the Enuani Clan. The motion drew attention to the dilapidation of a 33KV line and the prolonged absence of electricity in several communities, while calling attention to the need for remedial infrastructure. This demonstrated an attempt to bring constituency-level electricity grievances into the national legislative arena.
The broader significance of Elumelu’s power-sector record therefore lies in its multidimensional character. It includes legislative oversight, investigation of public expenditure, advocacy for transmission infrastructure, distribution substations, transformers, BEDC facilities, electricity networks and interventions concerning consumers and communities.
For a federal constituency whose economic and social development depends heavily upon reliable electricity, these interventions constitute an important part of the historical record of Elumelu’s representation. At the same time, individual project claims should be evaluated against official procurement, project-completion and commissioning records where available. What remains clear from the documentary and reported material is that electricity was a recurring and substantial component of his legislative and constituency-development agenda.
Senior Comrade Emmanuel Ordu Junior writes from Asaba, the Delta State Capital.
