History has been made in Etche Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, as its communities now receive electricity from Aba Power, Nigeria’s newest power distribution company (DisCo) based in Aba, Abia State.
“My joy knows no bounds as my people now have constant, quality and affordable electricity for the first time in years,” an excited chairman of Etche LGA, Chima Njoku, declared to a large gathering of people from the LGA who thronged to his office to show appreciation.
“I now feel like Simeon, the godly old man in the bible who sang nunc dimittis on living to see the Infant Jesus Christ dedicated in the temple, and he did so with his own eyes”.
The communities had been without light for over a decade, according to Mrs. Bernadette Obi, who runs a big fishing business in Umuola, one of the communities now having power. “Our action LGA chairman, The Honorable Chima Njoku, pledged during his electioneering campaign to solve the perennial electricity problem in our LGA if elected, and he has kept his word. He is an exceptional public servant,” she said.
Mrs. Obi revealed that the LG boss purchased a number of distribution transformers for various communities to ensure that no persons were left behind when power was restored.
The fish farmer added that Njoku took the initiative to approach Aba Power to connect the communities to their distribution network because of its service quality.
Edise Ekong, the Aba Power Senior Brand and Communication Manager, confirmed to newsmen that it was, indeed, Chief Njoku who approached his utility for power supply. “We were initially sceptical since the LGA falls within the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) jurisdiction,” he explained.
“Arising from his incessant pressure, we asked him to contact the PHEDC while we contacted the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and all relevant parties consequently reached an agreement that we supply power to the communities.”
Edise expressed delight that the communities are satisfied with not just constant power supply from Aba Power but also the quality and the tariff.
“It has been a week now that electricity has not blinked for a second in these communities in Rivers State,” he declared.
“Once there is gas supply, all our customers will continue to enjoy uninterrupted electricity unless there are local issues like trucks hitting our poles and overhead wires or vandalism of our distribution infrastructure by miscreants.”
Edise also confirmed that unnamed state governments, communities, and big manufacturing firms outside the nine of the 17 LGAs in Abia State that make up the Aba Ring-fenced Area are having discussions with Aba Power with a view to getting supplies from the utility which is Nigeria’s 12th DisCo.
“We will disclose their names at the right time,” he said.
@The Niche
