OWERRI —The people of Umuasonye in Orji area of Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State have protested the lack of electricity in the area in the last 10 years.

Some leaders of the community spoke in an interview with South East Voice when they led a protest delegation to the Owerri Zonal Office of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC.

They complained that they had written several letters to the EEDC, demanding the restoration of power to them or for discussions on reasons for non-availability of electricity in their area over the years without any meaningful response.

The Chairman of Electricity Committee for Umuasonye, Orji Community, Chief Henry Akor, expressed surprise that the ,EEDC, had not given them any opportunity to interface with the management of the company on the issue, adding that the situation had led to unending protests by the people of the area.
Akor said that the community had completed a power sub-station in the area and had been waiting for the EEDC, to “energize it.”

His words: “My brother, for more than 10 years now; we do not have electricity in our community and that is why we are at the EEDC office. This problem started when it was the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCH, and now EEDC.

“We have been coming to the, EEDC, office and have not received any positive response. Let me tell you, we have a power sub- station in our community and what we just need from the EEDC now is to power it to so it starts functioning.

“We are also worried that since this problem started nobody has listened to us. We are pleading that the people should help us and ask the EEDC to give us electricity instead of this darkness because we are part of Imo state.”

Also speaking, Mr. Chukwuemeka Njoku, said that the members of Orji community have remained without electricity for not less than 10 years.

“We have been calming our youths from expressing their anger. Small businesses in our community are experiencing hard times. We are in darkness. We want the EEDC to listen to us because we are human beings. We need electricity to improve our live,” he said.

Other leaders from the community who lamented over the situation said that it has been difficult to iron their clothes just as they complained bitterly over their inability to start small businesses like barbing saloons as a result of high cost of petrol.

Reacting, an official of the Owerri, office of the EEDC, who identified herself as Adaora Nancy, said she was not competent to speak on the issue but promised the Orji community leaders that their message would be delivered to the appropriate department of the EEDC that would handle their matter expeditiously.

http://www.energywatchng.com/10-years-without-electricity-orji-community-seeks-eedc-power/

Man's inhumanity to man