Any moment from now, the Inikorogha community, an Ijaw enclave in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State, will for the first time experience the civilisation of electricity as the community is set to be electrified, for the first time since its existence.
Tribune Online gathered that the first time the community had a resemblance of electricity was in 1991, when a company, Africa Timber and Plywood Company, operating in the area, donated a generating plant to the community.
When the plant got dilapidated, the Anthony Onyearugbulem, refurbished the plan in 1997, with Tribune Online source disclosing that Inikorogba had never been connected to the National Grid.
The cheering news was announced, on Friday, by Mr Dennis Idahosa, the member, representing Ovia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, who attracted the project, during an interactive session with journalists in Benin City.
Idahosa disclosed that the project which would be executed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), would commence immediately.
According to him, the rural electrification project, which covers a distance of 30km from Udo to Inikorogha, would serve many things, such as boosting small scale businesses in the locality.
“I am elated with the award of the contract for the project, this is particularly so because this community will be electrified and connected to the national grid.
“We are not just talking of electrification here but the multiplier effect of this project to the people; it will spur commercial activities in the area.
“This is not just going to be another sing-song project, the contractor has been fully mobilised to immediately commence the execution of the project,” Idahosa stated.
The elated Inikorogha community described as “unbelievable”, the news of the electrification project and commended Idahosa for fulfilling his campaign promise to the people.
The spokesman for the community and ex-militant, Mr Robert Okubor, said the project would be the first of its kind in the Ijaw community.
Okubor added that the community would see to the successful execution of the project by providing the necessary support to the project contractor.
According to him, “We are indeed elated, even our ancestors who had prayed for this are happy.
“When Idahosa made this promise during his campaign, though we have been supporting him through prayers, it was hard to believe that this day will come.
“He has been spreading constituency projects across the cranny of the federal constituency and now ours have come.
“The only electricity you see here are individuals efforts through generators. The semblance of whatever the community had in electricity by government or organisations was also through generating sets.
“In 1991, a company named Africa Timber and Plywood Company gave the Inikorogha community a generating plant while same was supplemented by the military administration of Anthony Oyeregbulem in 1997. All this have broken down over 25 years ago.
“You can the see the reason why we are happy and ready to do all, including providing security for the contractor of this project,” Okunbor enthused.
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