Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State and a presidential aspirant on the platform of People’s Democractic Party (PDP), yesterday, pledged to tackle the erractic power supply in the country, saying the provision of uninterrupted power supply through an annual injection of 5,000 megawatts and free healthcare for children aged six years and below as well as elderly people above 60 years old, would form the plank of his programmes if he succeeds President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Addressing thousands of supporters from the 36 states of the federation and Abuja at the Velodrome of the National Stadium in Abuja, Dr. Odili listed promotion of national unity through good governance, human development, quality health care and medical care, access to good water, diversification of the economy and security of lives and property among other priority areas.
He said: �Dramatic economic growth of Nigeria depends, to a large measure, on the guaranteed electric power supply in cities and rural areas. Before the present administration, the Nigerian power supply system had been beset with inadequate generation capacity, power transmission bottlenecks, substandard distribution networks and high system losses.
�With the on-going reform effort in the power sector, it is expected that by 2007, the total national installed generating capacity shall be between 10,000MW and 11,000MW, with over 80 per cent of this dependent of natural gas. We shall sustain this initiative and strive to further increase our installed generating capacity by an annual rate of 5,000 megawatts to meet our total power needs.�
On health, he said: �The objective of our quality, health and medical care programme shall be to increase the life expectancy of Nigerians. Government shall strengthen the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency to ensure that it plays its role effectively as the bedrock of the health care system. All caesarean section and ante-natal for women would be conducted free.�
Expressing concern that petroleum has remained the major anchor, accounting for about 90 per cent of export earnings of the Nigerian economy, Odili said: �We shall embark boldly on the diversification of the national economy, to reduce our dependence on oil export and we shall focus on the revitalisation of agriculture, accelerated development of the solid minerals sector and promotion of small and medium scale industries.�
On security of lives and property, he said: �The level of crime, especially violent robberies etc, continue to test the best efforts of our law enforcement agencies and threaten socio-economic and political stability. Our government shall accord very high priority to security of lives, crime detection and prevention in the country.�