DEVELOPMENT
Nine Years of Darkness Ends as Governor Alex Otti Restores Electricity to 33 Communities in Ukwa West, Reaffirms Promise-Keeping, Meritocracy and Sustainable Power Agenda
The Abia State Government has restored electricity to 33 communities in Ukwa West Local Government Area, ending a prolonged blackout that lasted for nine years and returning hope, economic activity and social life to the oil-producing communities.
Governor Alex Otti performed the Power Switch-On Ceremony organised by the State Government on Monday at the Central Primary School, Obehie, Ukwa West Local Government Area, where he assured residents of reliable, stable and sustainable electricity supply as part of his administration’s commitment to inclusive development.
The Governor explained that the power restoration was a fulfilment of a promise he made in March to reconnect the affected communities, stressing that his government places premium value on integrity and keeping its word to the people.
“You know better than anyone how long this place has been in darkness and in a few moments, we will turn on the lights, and from today, you will enjoy 24-hour power supply.
“I say this with confidence because Professor Bart Nnaji is here with me and everywhere he has worked, the story is the same.
“The other day, someone told me that in the last 120 days, electricity in his house has not blinked once, and I want to sincerely thank Professor Nnaji for the excellent work he has done”, Governor Otti said.
Governor Otti commended the Chief Executive Officer of Geometric Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, for his resilience and long-standing investment in the Nigerian power sector, disclosing that the former Minister of Power had invested about 800 million dollars in building the company.
According to the Governor, such massive investment was a necessary sacrifice for development, noting that the partnership between the Abia State Government and Aba Power was central to the delivery of stable electricity to communities and industries across the state.
He further disclosed that the State Government would collaborate with the Ukwa West Local Government Council to provide support for residents who are genuinely unable to meet their monthly electricity bills.
“I will therefore mandate the Mayor to sit with the Honourable Member, the Commissioner, and other stakeholders to work out a way to support those who genuinely cannot afford to pay.
“I am not asking you to do what I have not done; I have already done this in my own community”, the Governor said.
Addressing calls from the people for the appointment of an indigene of Ukwa as a Permanent Secretary in the Abia State Civil Service, Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to meritocracy, stressing that appointments into key positions, including Permanent Secretaries, are not based on Local Government origin but on competence, due process and performance.
He explained that aspiring Permanent Secretaries must write the required examinations and successfully pass interviews before being considered.
The Governor also revealed that a worker who was earlier disengaged from service had been reinstated after investigations established that he was not culpable.
“When I was here in March, I made two promises; the first was to restore light to the communities that had been cut off for several years and that is what we are here to do today.
“The second promise concerned a young man named Promise, who was said to have lost his job. I directed that an investigation be carried out, and if he was not found culpable, he should be reinstated and the last time I checked, I was told he is back at work.
“We are not perfect, but you can take our word to the bank. If we say we will do something, we will do it and if there is something we will not do, we will also say so clearly”, he said.
Governor Otti urged the people of Ukwa West to take collective responsibility for protecting public infrastructure, emphasising that community vigilance is critical to sustaining development projects and preventing setbacks caused by vandalism.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Geometric Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, assured residents of uninterrupted electricity supply, explaining that Ukwa West is among the nine Local Government Areas served by Aba Power Limited.
He disclosed that 33 transformers had been installed across the communities, alongside extensive distribution lines, adding that power generation would be done outside the national grid, making the supply immune to frequent national system collapses.
Prof. Nnaji further revealed that a 42-kilometre power line, valued at about N2 billion, was currently under construction to support local industries, but lamented that the infrastructure had already been vandalised seven times. He appealed to residents to desist from vandalism and energy theft and encouraged them to report suspicious activities to Aba Power or the State Government.
Also speaking, the General Manager of the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC), Ven. Dr. Joshua Onyeike, described the restoration of electricity as a landmark achievement and a powerful symbol of renewed hope for the people of Ukwa West.
Dr. Onyeike urged residents to safeguard the power infrastructure, noting that vandalism had in the past stalled development efforts in the area, and commended the State Government for ensuring that the dividends of democracy reach all parts of the state without discrimination.
Contributing, the lawmaker representing Ukwa West State Constituency, Chief Godwin Adiele, praised the Otti administration for its performance within a short time, expressing confidence that the government would sustain the current development tempo.
Chief Adiele disclosed that residents were eagerly anticipating the flag-off of major commercial road projects along the Umezeke, Obokwe and Ogwati routes, as earlier promised by the Governor, and appealed for electricity tariff relief for the largely agrarian and oil-producing communities.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, explained that the power restoration project involved the rehabilitation of 30 transformer distribution substations, the installation of 12 new transformers, the restoration of 34 kilometres of high-tension lines and 3.5 kilometres of low-tension lines.
Engr. Monday added that the benefitting communities were being metered to ensure effective billing and transparency, noting that although some challenges that caused past outages still exist, the State Government has put preventive measures in place to avert future disruptions.
He emphasised that electricity remains a central pillar of Abia State’s development agenda, describing the Ukwa West power restoration as a critical step toward economic growth, industrial expansion and improved quality of life for the people.