For residents and inhabitants of Umuogii community, Uratta, Orji in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, a small village OF about 20,000 people, it has been total power outage for over four years.
According to the community leaders led by Chief Cosmas UgochukWU Achilike, the traditional Prime Minister, the community has not seen electricity supply for long.
“The day power supply returns to Umuogii, our people will go to church for a thanksgiving” he said to INNONEWS.COM, to underscore the depth of frustration of his people who wonder why power supply has not been restored in the area for a long time
Umuogii community is gradually witnessing some level of urbanization as it is close to Owerri municipal, the Imo State capital. This had attracted both civil servants and businessmen who had lived in the area, but now shying away because of total absence of power supply.
“We have been in perpetual darkness for four years. It is a pathetic situation. We have done all we could to get Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to provide us with power supply all to no avail” Achilike told this online newspaper
According to him, “there was a transformer which supplied light to the community. But that transformer was destroyed by a careless bus driver who rammed into it four years ago. The matter was reported to then Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN), we made our reports to them, and nothing came out of it.
“We have paid our fees, our youths have gone on rampage at EEDC office in Owerri and at Orji to protest the total darkness in the area, yet we have not see anything that looks like electricity in this community” the traditional Prime minister stated.
This newspaper observed that during the elections in 2015, some politicians took advantage of electricity problem of the community to make so many promises to the people. One of such politicians is the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha who was said to have promised to provide a new transformer when he was seeking for re- election as governor.
After the polls, the governor was said to have drafted one Chris, an electrical engineer who only came and assesed the situation and left till date.
It took the intervention of the member representing Owerri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Ezenwa Onyewuchi, who provided a transformer and told the community to make arrangements for its installation.
“Of all the politicians who came here to make promises, it was Hon Onyewuchi who gave us a 300kva transformer. We commended him for that. We thereafter set up an electrical committee whose duty is ensure the installation of the transformer’ the traditional prime minister stated.
The committee made efforts to get the power company to install and energize the transformer by providing land and other logistics to ensure the process of installation is completed.
Another community leader, Chief Chidi Anukam added that the community have never had issues or disagreements with EEDC to warrant the lukewarm attitude of the power company officials.
“This is why we are surprised over their non- chalant attitude to install of our transformer. We have written several letters seeking for their approval to install this transformer yet there is no reply from the power company” he said
Mr. Innocent Mbata, another leader in the community and a wielder lamented that the absence of electricity for over four years in Umuogii community has affected economic activities in the area.
He said “Wielders here have all deserted this place. Bakers have also left. Small shops which sell cold drinks and other items have left.
“Those who are still operating are gradually closing up because there is no ray of hope that power will be restored. Residents here spend so much on fuel daily to power their generators
“Tenants no longer seek to rent the houses we build. They complain of no electricity more so when it has lingered for over four years” he told this online newspaper.
The community leaders called on EEDC to come to their aid and install the 300kva transformer which is available.
When this newspaper called EEDC Public Relations officer in Owerri district for comments, there was no response as his phone was switched off. A visit to the power company office was fruitless as no one refused to speak on the matter
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
All Rights Reserved.
This Material and any other material on this platform
may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, written or
distributed in full or in part without written permission
from INNONEWS.COM
No comments:
Write comments