Kinsmen of Okonjo Iweala, Nigeria’s past Minister of Finance, are not happy over the state of their village, Ogwashi Uku community in Aniocha South area of Delta state, have appealed to FG to restore electricity supply which had eluded the community for more than seven years.
Sam Obidi, who's a member of 'The Forum', made the plea in an interview on Monday in Asaba.
The Forum is a body working with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company to restore electricity supply to Ogwashi-Uku,
Obidi said the economy of the area had deteriorated over time.
Obidi said that while some of the communities had been restructured and reconnected and receiving power supply, Ogwashi-Uku, Illah and some other communities, had been left out and every effort to reconnect these communities remained a challenge.
He said that micro and small businesses in the communities had suffered a great setback due to lack of public source of power.
Obidi said that there was no doubt that the economy of Ogwashi-Uku community, being host to a state polytechnic would blossom, jobs created and criminality checked and a peaceful and secured state promoted, “if electricity is restored’’.
According to him, computer business centres, barbing saloons, fashion houses, welders, other operators, have suffered losses and some closed due to the high cost of operating in the area.
He said, “Those who managed to stay with their businesses in the past seven years have operated at higher cost and charges higher prices for their services at the expense of the community.
“The situation here seemed hopeless as most recently repaired transformers in Ogwashi-Uku have been vandalised in spite of the huge sacrifices made by the stakeholders in the community.”
He said that stakeholders in the community in 2016 committed about N20m to the contractor handling the project to fix the transformers in the area.
Obidi said that the delay in restoring the power by BEDC which had insisted on metering the community had remained a major challenge.
He said, “We complained to the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission, which directed that BEDC should supply electricity to the community with or without metering."
As it is now, life in the community is not rosy for the people. A cold room operator, Mr. Ignatius Okobi, said he and his colleagues had no other option than to venture into other lines of business since it had become extremely difficult for them to operate cold rooms with power generators.
He noted that several enterprises in Ogwashi-Uku, which depended on electricity supply, had been forced to close down because of their inability to cope with high costs of production.
Sam Obidi, who's a member of 'The Forum', made the plea in an interview on Monday in Asaba.
The Forum is a body working with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company to restore electricity supply to Ogwashi-Uku,
Obidi said the economy of the area had deteriorated over time.
Obidi said that while some of the communities had been restructured and reconnected and receiving power supply, Ogwashi-Uku, Illah and some other communities, had been left out and every effort to reconnect these communities remained a challenge.
He said that micro and small businesses in the communities had suffered a great setback due to lack of public source of power.
Obidi said that there was no doubt that the economy of Ogwashi-Uku community, being host to a state polytechnic would blossom, jobs created and criminality checked and a peaceful and secured state promoted, “if electricity is restored’’.
According to him, computer business centres, barbing saloons, fashion houses, welders, other operators, have suffered losses and some closed due to the high cost of operating in the area.
He said, “Those who managed to stay with their businesses in the past seven years have operated at higher cost and charges higher prices for their services at the expense of the community.
“The situation here seemed hopeless as most recently repaired transformers in Ogwashi-Uku have been vandalised in spite of the huge sacrifices made by the stakeholders in the community.”
He said that stakeholders in the community in 2016 committed about N20m to the contractor handling the project to fix the transformers in the area.
Obidi said that the delay in restoring the power by BEDC which had insisted on metering the community had remained a major challenge.
He said, “We complained to the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission, which directed that BEDC should supply electricity to the community with or without metering."
As it is now, life in the community is not rosy for the people. A cold room operator, Mr. Ignatius Okobi, said he and his colleagues had no other option than to venture into other lines of business since it had become extremely difficult for them to operate cold rooms with power generators.
He noted that several enterprises in Ogwashi-Uku, which depended on electricity supply, had been forced to close down because of their inability to cope with high costs of production.
This too bad to hear,a minister who served 8yrs, world bank figure.....ok
ReplyDeleteBuh she's not the minister of power na.
ReplyDeletehmmmm. nawao!
ReplyDeleteAdded to my earlier comment, Her aim was to loot our money codedly for seven years ni oo
ReplyDeleteImagine, with all her influence she can't even deliver electricity to her home town.
ReplyDeleteDem go dey beta position but won't b able 2 improve dere local govt talk more ani oda places..
ReplyDeleteNawaoo we are recording four years here now
ReplyDeleteI don't know thar we have Senior.
Okonjo iwela is not to be blame but the state government who has refuse to do his work
ReplyDeleteNa wa o.
ReplyDeleteNo problem. we dey enjoy the deviden of democracy together.
ReplyDeleteDats a bad leader
ReplyDeleteSeven years is a very long time for government to keep silence on the yearning of the communities. Electricity brings development.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that we still have problems with electricity in Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteserious suffering..okonjo though your not a power expert but atleast use your influence to help them atleast..when they do see you they should have something to say and be proud of u remmber home is where your true recognition matters most..FG abeg do something too dis place is nigeria as well
ReplyDeletehonestly is a mater of urgency to restore electricity in ogwashi uku am a student of delta state polytechenic ogwashi uku students of the poly suffer alot to get water and charge reading lamps.
ReplyDeleteBEDC please show mercy
ReplyDeletePower issues is a general problem.
ReplyDeleteAnd to say she was in power for 6year no comment
ReplyDeleteLol Naa Waa ooo
ReplyDeleteOkonjo-iweala....
ReplyDeleteGod give people money to assist others in need... and not for their selfish ends....
She no try at all.Chai!
ReplyDeleteThey should their case to the NERC again
ReplyDelete