The Rivers state government says about N30 billion has been budgeted for its vision of having 24 hour stable power supply by this year-end 2012.

The Commissioner for Power in the State, Honorable Augustine Wokocha told journalists during a special media chat tagged,”Dissecting Amaechi’s Administration” at the government house” in Port-Harcourt, the state capital.

According to Mr Wokocha, the money includes the overall budgeted allocations in the sector that already works for the construction of new 10 sub-stations, which have begun.

The Amaechi administration he noted has raised the comatose power provision since inception in 2007 occasioned by poor distribution network from the independent power stations at Omoku, and Trans-Amadi.

He however observed that the major hindrance to the state ambitious power project cannot be disconnected from the constitutional hiccups warning that unless those restrictions were removed, the state may likely not achieve its power dream.

He further disclosed that the state generates about 466 megawatts and may likely exceed that by the end of the year with a target plan of 616megawatts, as an additional 180 Gas Turbine is under way at Afam power station beginning next year

The Commissioner averred that the state was far ahead of other states and companies granted license by the Obasanjo administration in 2005, but insisted that the legal hitches need to be removed if the country’s quest to generate stable and sufficient electricity would be achieved.

Mr. Wokoch called on the federal government to allow states that have the network to run them and subsequently engage the private sector to manage the power sector, adding that the state would not seek legal action even though it runs its power generation at losses but would continue to press on the federal authorities to go beyond the recent grant to distribute power to a free and independent system.

The Commissioner disclosed that once the project was concluded in six months, the Ministry would commence with its rural electrification project, which he stated has been approved.