Amassoma Kingdom is situated in Southern Ijaw LGA of bayelsa state,Nigeria..some 30km away from Yenagoa, the state Capital, a waterside village like most Ijaw villages,with a rich Ijaw cultural heritage. It is safe to say that it is one of the biggest Ijaw town, second only to Arogbo town in Ondo state. It's also home to some prominent sons and daughters among whom is Chief DSP Alameisegha, a former Governor of Bayelsa state and the political God father of President Goodluck Jonathan
Above all Amassoma is also the host community of the state owned Niger Delta University(My Alma mata). It's perhaps is the only university town without electricity. The Inability of past and present state Bayelsa state Governments to Provide electricity for a town that is just a measly 25minutes drive from the state capital to me is the 8th wonder of the world
As a student in Amassoma,I remember going into campus late in the evening with the intention of having an all night reading session and meeting jam packed lecture halls,rooms and even the labs,that situation arose because majority of students like me who reside off campus(off course the hostels could only accommodate a very people)troop to the campus every evening to read since its the only place they can be guaranteed electricity. Like every university town,security was a major source of worry,I remember being accosted and robbed a couple of times on my way home,a very close friend of mine who is now a medical Doctor was brutalised by cultists who wanted to take possession of his phone,I also heard cases where other students were robbed and atimes maimed either on their way to campus to read or on their way back home,cases of rape were common place in those days,it is a well known fact that evil and insecurity thrives in darkness. In a state like Bayelsa where complicity reigns supreme and "suffering and smiling" is a way of Life this situation might as well continue for ever,but as an Alumnus of that great school I owe past and present students a duty to draw national attention to this abnormality,yes it is abnormal that a town that is just 25mins drive from the state capital is still in stark darkness over 7years after it was connected to the mainland by the Tombia bridge and the Tombia Amassoma road. It is an abnormality that must not be allowed to continue
It is important to note that certain steps had already been taken by previous administration as contracts running into millions of Naira had been awarded on more than 2 occasions and some transformers and other electrical installations now add to the beauty of amassoma,but "what good is an Orange if it doesn't produce juice??...why successive bayelsa state government keep awarding contracts for the amassoma light project with nothing to show for it remains a mystery to me..I heard from a reliable Son of that Kingdom that certain powerful interest groups do not want electricity in Amassoma because they supply diesel to the university to power their plants,I won't rule it out because in a country like ours where men live only for today and their "bellies and pockets is their god" anything is possible. I remember stories of how certain interest group fought against the construction of the tombia-amassoma road because it will rob them of their livelihood of ferrying students to amassoma by boat from yenagoa,how certain people can be so backward and shortsighted in this 21st century is a total mystery to me
I hereby call on the state Government to as a matter of urgency impose electricity on amassoma kingdom,not for the sake of its indigenes(if they wanted light they would have cried out 4 it)but for the sake of thousands of students of Niger Delta University who risk their lives every night going to the campus to read,charge their phones and iron their clothes and suffer terrible mosquito bites and subsequent malaria ailment
I urge the administration of Hon Seriake Dickson not to repeat the sins of past administrations who invested millions into the amassoma electricity project without even a lighted bulb to show for it..No progress can be made in darkness,a university community without electricity is unheard of. I appeal to the present bayelsa state Government to transform amassoma from a Kingdom of darkness to a kingdom of marvelous light
Owutu Tamara Kuro is a Port harcourt based Social commentator..he is on twitter @tammyDmilanista


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