.Federal Govt disburses ₦10bn compensation to property owners in Imo, Abia states
By EDISON Okereke
As part of the Implementation of Resettlement Plan (RAP) Acquisition and Clearing of Right of Way (ROW) for the proposed reconstruction of 138 km Alaoji (Abia State)/Imo State/Anambra State 330 KV SC to 330KV DC QUAD CORE Transmission line, the sum of ten billion naira (₦10bn) has been disbursed by the Federal Government in collaboration with the African Development Bank to facilitate the work of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in compensation to the Project Affected Persons (PAP) in the states.
Fielding questions from journalists in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Thursday, April 2, 2026, the assistant general manager on Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE), Aromeh Adole to TCN, stated that the compensation was in line with the Federal Government’s intention to upgrade the Alaoji/ Onitsha transmission line.
He said, “Presently, it is a single circuit 330 KVA line.
But the load demand in Eastern Nigeria has been increased tremendously. So government wants to match that increase in demand by removing the line and installing the one that has four times the capacity of this one. So the Federal Government by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu released the sum of ₦10 billion naira which covers Abia, Imo, Kaduna, and Kano, excluding Anambra State.
Adole noted that with the compensation, the recipients had ninety days to leave the line.
“In Abia State, we attended to seven hundred and two (702) persons. Here today in Owerri, Imo State, we have one thousand two hundred (1,200) persons.
He described the compensations as ‘Relocation Assistance (RA),” in addition to other reliefs such as “Livelihood Restoration Activities,” training, credit facilities, loans to petty traders to support their businesses to the communities.”
The assistant general manager, therefore, solicited the people’s support for the success of the project.
“This power project has the capacity of changing business and increasing the quality and the value of assets within these states. And it is going to provide jobs.
“So the people should support government : no vandalisation, no stealing of construction materials, no kidnapping of our staff, no sabotage!,” Adole pleaded.
The coordinator of the Transmission Implementation Unit, Engr. Shehu Tukur Abdullahi corroborated Adole’s statement.
“The capacity of light now will increase. So the supply will improve definitely. The distribution company will have more light to distribute to public,” he said.
He noted that stakeholders concerned were all taken along as proper consultations had been made since 2019 when the negotiations started with the people, and terms were agreed on.
Tukur urged for the people’s cooperation at every stage of the project for the safeguard of their materials and equipment when work begins.
