Save Warri from poor water, electricity, 98-year-old legislator begs FG

A disenchanted nonagenarian, Pa DTSO Pessu, has called on the Federal and Delta State governments to restore portable water and constant electricity to the oil-rich, but cruelly impoverished city of Warri.

The 98-year-old legislator made the call during a remark at the 2017 The Daniel Oritsemugbemi Reyenieju (DOR) Symposium/Awards organised in honour of late Mrs Omawumi Beatrice Udoh, member representing Warri South Constituency 1, Delta State House of Assembly.

Pa Pessu served as member representing Warri Federal Constituency in the Bendel State House of Assembly between 1979-1983.

Lamenting the dearth in electricity and water supply in oil-rich, the nonagenarian of Itsekiri stock, blamed the pseudo-presidential being practised in the country, which he said, ruined social amenities.

“At the moment, we in Warri, the owners of the oil that’s been taken away and we’re now in darkness.

Now in Warri, we have no light, no water.

I’m calling on our members who are in the National Assembly to look into this matter,” Pa Pessu enthused.

He blamed the military governments for spearheading the destruction of water and electricity supply in the city.

“The presidential system of government robbed us of all good things.

I remember that myself and Chief Jemide Ojegwari, we were in the House of Assembly from 1979 and we were shouting that it was robbery that you cannot just take the whole of our money and nothing is left for us.

Myself, Jemide and Ekpoko continued to Port Harcourt to align with the Ijaws until the military administrator or whoever it was took over and removed us from the House and later, we now had 13 per cent.

Why I’m saying all this is one, Warri that was known for portable water and constant electricity, but now, the oil city has no water.

Babangida’s government came and destroyed water in Warri.

And later, the electricity we had at PWD was dismantled and taken to the north,” Pessu, a barrister, noted amid pin-drop silence.

While calling on all stakeholders to rescue Warri city from infrastructural collapse, the elder statesman affirmed that “the NDDC is there and the DESOPADEC.

They should take up the matter and save Warri from darkness and shortage of water.

We want water. We cannot be producing all the wealth and be lacking water.”

It will be recalled that the former administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan made frantic efforts to restore public tap water to the ancient city, but were frustrated by political forces according to reports.

Millions of tax payers’ money sunk into revitalising the water corporation went down the drain while the people battle with water borne diseases.