The people of Umuagi Ihioma and Umuegbe communities in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State are currently battling with intense and excruciating power blackout for six months now.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) transformer servicing both communities was said to have broken down about five months ago.
When the EEDC Orlu Business Office was approached by the communities for intervention, they were requested to pay arrears of electricity bill amounting to N4.2million as the only condition to get the transformer repaired and restore power supply by the EEDC.
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The Umuagi Ihioma and Umuegbe Amaifeke communities rallied round, taxed all taxables to raise money.
The N4.2million was jointly raised by the affected communities and paid to EEDC.
This payment was made on July 18, 2024. Unfortunately till the time of this report, no visible action has been initiated by the EEDC management to repair the faulty transformer and restore power supply.
All entreaties to the EEDC officials both at Orlu and Enugu head office had met with ignominy.
The representatives of both communities who engage with the EEDC are made objects of caricature by the EEDC officials who toss them around with deceitful directions, which end up at shirking responsibilities and shying away from the problem.
A prominent indigene of the area, Sir Livy Unigwe, lamented the untold hardship the ugly situation has subjected his people to.
Sir Unigwe, a retired Director of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) pointed out that businesses, especially those that relied on electricity, have suffered irretrievably, resulting in loss of millions of naira in revenue and wasted manpower.
According to him, our locals, especially the aged, whose sons and daughters communicate with, are severed because their phones can no longer be charged.
He added; “Some of the oldies, out of frustration, utilize their meager welfare/ upkeep/ pocket money buying petrol at exorbitant prices or to patronize commercial phone chargers to keep their phones reachable.
“For how long will this obvious act of insensitivity and brazen impunity prevail? Money paid to the EEDC, payment acknowledged by the EEDC, yet the EEDC coveted the money and turned indifferent. This is unacceptable. I call on the authorities-the Imo State Government, ISERC, the NERC, to please, urgently intervene in this matter and salvage our communities from this management rascality and deliberate induced suffering.
