FIC Report (Abia State) – Governor Alex Otti creates a very effective and sustainable transportation system for the state.
In a bid to sanitize and modernise its transport sector and introduce an organised logistics system in major cities of Aba, Umuahia, and Ohafia, the Abia State Government has concluded plans to partner with COSCHARIS to roll out Electric Vehicles for Intra City and State transport services.
Speaking during a business meeting on Wednesday, December 4th, in his office with the founder, president, and CEO of COSCHARIS Group Dr. Cosmas Maduka and his team, Governor Otti, said, “Our decision to go electric was a well thought out decision, we didn’t just jump into it, we looked at everything.”
The governor explained that some European countries had decided to phase out fossil fuel vehicles from 2030 and some in 2035, while some are still in the planning process to decide when it will happen. He disclosed that the last administration (President Buhari’s administration), who spoke through the then vice president, said that we could only afford 2070 to phase out fossil vehicles. “What it just tells you is that at some point, whether today or tomorrow, it will happen,” the governor asserted.
Speaking further, Governor Otti said, “Beyond that, you look at the economics. What is renewable energy? It is electric; all you need to do is to charge. The other one you need to buy the fuel somehow, whether it is cleaner or it is crude. CNG (Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle) is cleaner, no doubt, but it is still fossil fuel. So, there are some things that it leaves in the environment”.
Talking about maintenance, the governor said, “Even in terms of maintenance, you buy a vehicle that has 200 parts as against one that has 17 if TESLA is right, but the maximum is 20. So it can’t be the same”.
On the power for charging the vehicles, the governor stated that even though we don’t have a steady power supply, we manage to keep our phones and other electrical gadgets charged. He explained that with Geometric Power fully in control of power supply in Aba, covering 9 LGAs and his plans for the State to take full control of electricity supply in the remaining 8 LGAs thereby covering the entire State, the Project will succeed.
“Aba as an island is out of the National Grid technically. So, the remaining 8 Local Governments from Umuahia all the way to Arochukwu and Umunneoche, under the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) program, we are discussing with them on how to buy the Abia part of EEDC from Interstate Electricity. And, then take excess power from Geometric to Umuahia”, the Governor disclosed.
Governor Otti further explained that to help Geometric Power solve the problem of gas, which impeded powering her turbines to generate electricity, the State Government intervened for the Federal Government to step in. The Federal Government, through the Vice President, summoned the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC and instructed that Geometric should be given priority in terms of gas supply. He revealed that a lot is being done to resolve the issues with the Alaoji Power plant, under the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) to produce excess power and distribute it to other parts of the country.
“So, there is no State that is as well positioned as we are to push for electric vehicles. When we looked at it, we felt that it was a way to go”, the governor stated.
He told the COSCHARIS Group that what was important to the State Government “is not selling vehicles. Anybody can sell vehicles, even without understanding the vehicles. But, what is important is the entire ecosystem, and that is why your presentation is like music to our ears because that is actually what we are looking for. So, in the next few days, I will want you to sit down with my team so that we can move this to the last mile and get it started”.
Governor Otti thanked Dr. Cosmas Maduka and his team for coming and all that he’s doing to help grow the country’s economy.
Earlier in his speech, the founder, president, and CEO of COSCHARIS Group, Dr. Cosmas Maduka thanked Governor Otti for choosing them as partners for the project, affirming that they have the required experience, having been in the automobile business for about five decades. “Let me simply say that you are discussing with the right organization in this project in the sense that this is the area where we have experience. We have been in existence for over 5 decades, and all our core businesses have been in automobile,” Dr. Maduka stated.
Dr. Maduka assured Governor Otti that they are very much interested in the project and will bring their experience and capacity to bear and help the state actualize and sustain the project. He emphasized that Electric Vehicles is where the world is headed and described Governor Otti’s move for electric vehicles as trailblazing as it will spur other states to follow suit.
Dr. Maduka, who was physically present during Governor Otti’s inauguration as Governor on May 29th, 2023, said that for the first time, the people of Abia State got it right by electing him as their Governor, stating that Governor Otti has “managed things from zero situations to tangible outcomes”.
While appreciating the work the Government’s team has done on the Electric Vehicle Project, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of COSCHARIS, Mr. Josiah Samuel described the Abia State Government’s electric Vehicle initiative as a step in the right direction, saying that he differed with the Federal Government when he was contacted on CNG bus project, asking why not Electric Vehicles when some cities in China has achieved 50% penetration in EVs.
Mr. Jonathan Maduka, Executive Director, Strategy, and Mr. C.C. Chigbundu, General Manager/CEO of COSCHARIS Mobility, was part of the management team of COSCHARIS that joined the Founder/CEO and the GMD to the meeting with the Abia State Government’s team.
The Principal Secretary to the Governor and Chief Strategy Officer of the Government, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu and the Technical Assistant to the Governor, Mr. Charles Egonye joined the governor in the meeting with the COSCHARIS Group.
Signed
Abiakam Gloria Ify
HOC.FIC, Abia State.
