The people of the oil producing communities in Imo State have applauded Governor Emeka Ihedioha, the Deputy Governor, Engr. Gerald Irona and the Managing Director of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC), Engr. Owuoma Anthony Okwuosha, for keeping to their promise to restore electricity to the oil producing communities of Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta local government areas.
The people who were elated over the restored electricity to their communities of Awa, Akabor, Oguta, Nkwesi, Mgbele, and others, in Oguta LGA, poured encomium on the Governor, Deputy Governor and ISOPADEC MD, during the ongoing community sensitization on the cassava buyout programme, saying that they never had it so good.
Speaking when a team from ISOPADEC paid him a courtesy call at his palace as they visited his community on their community sensitization tour on the Commission’s cassava buyout programme, HRH Eze Sir A.N. Odika, the Traditional Ruler of Mgbele Autonomous Community, said restoring electricity to his community is the best thing the government has done to them so far.
“Since when I was born I had never seen a thing like this in Mgbele. We now enjoy electricity more than those in Owerri, the so-called urban area. Here we enjoy electricity 24 hours. We have enjoyed electricity here for over two months and it has been like this: 24 hours electricity supply.
“We never enjoyed one minute electricity in the last eight years. With the oil coming from our area, all we enjoyed was total darkness. Today, the story is different.
“We thank the Managing Director of ISOPADEC, Engr. Owuoma Anthony Okwuosha, the Deputy Governor, Engr. Gerald Irona, and the Governor, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, for restoring electricity to our communities. It shall be well with them”, he said.
Also speaking on the restoration of electricity to his community, the Traditional Ruler of Nkwesi Autonomous Community, Eze Prof Dele Amuzienwa Odigbo, said: “It is over two months since electricity was restored in our community. Since then it has been full current and 24 hours electricity. We thank the Governor and the Deputy Governor for making this possible through ISOPADEC. It shall be well with them. For giving us electricity, God shall put light in their life. God shall lighten their paths. We now have electricity”.
A woman leader in the community, Mrs. Mercy Udom Emmanuel, said that the community is happy that ISOPADEC has kept its promise of restoring electricity to their community, noting that they had lived in darkness in the last eight years.
Pledging the continued support of the women of the area to the Governor and his government, she said: “We now have electricity which we didn’t have in the last eight years. We now use the electronics in our houses and now our businesses are bouncing back. The last government kept us in darkness for 8 years. But now we have electricity back. We thank the Governor and his Deputy for doing this for us. We will continue to support the Governor and his government”.
A beer palour and provisions store owner in the community, Mr. Emeka Ononiba, said the restoration of electricity to the community has helped his business, saying that he no longer spends money to fuel his generator.
Meanwhile, ISOPADEC is intensifying efforts towards restoring electricity to communities in the oil producing local governments.
