Rochas Okorocha |
The Egbu/Mbaise Road in Owerri, the Imo State capital, was
on Tuesday blocked by some youths protesting against the alleged failure of the
Enugu Electricity Distribution Company to supply electricity to the community
for several months.
The protest, which started at 7am, also affected economic
activities as motorists coming from Umuahia, Abia State, to Mbaise and those
going to other areas, were held in a traffic jam for hours.
The Egbu youths were said to have destroyed a fence, a
security post, a gate and some cars belonging to the National Electricity
Regulatory Commission.
The Publicity Secretary of the Egbu Town General Assembly,
Eugene Orisakwe, lamented that the community had not been having power supply
for several months, adding that efforts made to discuss with the management of
EEDC had proved abortive.
He stated that promises by officials of the distribution
company to supply power to the community had not been fulfilled.
He noted that in spite of three additional high tension
wires around the community, they had yet to have power supply.
Orisakwe said, “We are here to find out the reason for this
inhuman treatment. It is not just that
they don’t want to give us power, they completely disconnected our community.”
Also, the Chairman of Umuofor village, Mr. Aham Iheme,
stated that a power plant belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria,
which was in the community, had been causing hazards to residents.
“The radiation from the power plant has caused health
hazards to our people. Many of our young men have died as a result of the
radiation,” Iheme said.
An official of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, who
spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being attacked, decried the
attitude of the community.
He said, “It is not our fault that Egbu does not have power
supply. When the National Electricity Regulatory Commission visited us
because of the problem in August 2016, it was discovered that the community
overtime had not been paying for electricity.
“All appeal to them to pay fell on deaf ears, even after the traditional ruler of the community
intervened.”
He said when a decision was reached between Egbu and NERC
for the community to identify indigenes and non indigenes for modalities of
payment of EEDC bills, the community failed to implement it.
“It is the duty of the community to implement it and not
EEDC. They are trying to push us to the
wall because they are hosting us. If they tamper with the power plant, the
whole of Owerri and beyond will be in total darkness,” he added.
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