By Chol D. Johnson
Minister of Energy and Dams, Agok Makur Kur has promised Juba residents of full connection of electricity in the city.
Makur made the remark to the media on Thursday during his first visit to Ezra Power Plant at JEDCO power station in Juba.
“I need to tell our citizen in Juba that is in month or in the coming month we are going to cover all Juba city in by electricity” Makur promised.
Makur said that concerning the reduction of price on electricity, the order of the president is in place and with the cooperation from Ezra group to implement the order.
“Concerning the reduction of price on electricity, we have the order of president in place and also now we cooperate with Ezra group to medicate the electricity to our citizen” he said.
He noted that electricity is very important not only for light but also for security purposes.
Makur said that the ministry had short and long plant to visit Ezra group area of JECO electricity station and other areas in South Sudan.
He underscored that in the coming month the ministry will visit Rumbek to open the power plant which was installed early.
Makur said that he got enlightened by the Ezra group manager about the 79 megawatts used and remain 21 megawatts to be completed in this coming month.
“I get enlightenment from manager of Ezra group in area and also, I get information at 79 megawatts used and remain 21 megawatts to be completed in the coming month” he said.
He said that the ministry is prepared to cooperate with another site such Uganda for the transmission of energy to Juba and all over South Sudan.
“As a ministry we prepare ourselves also to cooperate with another site, Uganda, for this transmission energy to Juba city or to over South Sudan” he said.
Makur stated that he was surprised by the Ezra group on the new refinery of crude oil which will be transported from the oil field to Juba in order for power supply continue without shortage of fuel.
“I’m surprised by the Ezra group on the new refinery or facility for crude oil in the power station” he stated.
Samson Ezra, the Managing Director of the Ezra Group and a board member in JEDCO welcomed the visit by new ministry to the Ezra group at the power station.
Ezra said that the Ezra group will work hard to cover all the areas in Juba with power supply with in short period of time.
“We will light all the areas in Juba with fully power supply which will not cut again” he said.
Ezra said that the group manufactured barges to transport crude oils through river, and also manufacturing of electricity poles of different heights, rather than importing it from neighboring countries.
The visiting of the minister of Energy and Dams was the plan he made as first the Ezra power plant and second phase is to visit Rumbek and open the power station.
During the minister Agok Makur visited all the power station parties, including control room, substation or outgoing Feeders, Batteries/ Energy Storage System, Solar PV plant.
Makur also visited refinery yard, pole manufacturing plant, and Barge workshop which constructed the barges to transport crude oil from the field through River Nile.