Govt intervenes in Ihiala power outage

AS part of measures to install electricity in the entire Anambra State, government has projected to intervene in the protracted power problems in communities in Ihiala Local Government Area.
Gov. Willie Obiano had since pledged to proffer lasting solutions toward ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the area.
Obiano made the promise during power summit held at Ihiala LGA, where he regretted that some communities in the state were still in darkness because of insufficient transformer to ensure electrify distribution.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Utility, Power and Water Resources, Mr. Victor Meju, said the state had procured not less than 400 transformers to affected communities.
“We are making further arrangements to procure more transformers to distribute to other communities that need them. Last year, we connected 32km from Awada to Nnewi, Orumba North and South from Oji River. This will continue until every community experiences uninterrupted power supply,” Obiano said.
He, then, urged them to take charge of government facilities in their communities against theft and vandalism.
The Community Liaison Manager, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Mr. Tony Obi, said his team had been duly directed to ascertain the various communities in Ihiala that needed urgent attention. Obi, who is in charge of Eastern states, explained that not less than 6 million people in South East were benefitting from power generation and the team had commenced capturing to regulate distribution.
“There are 61 transformers being procured in Ihiala, out of which, 40 has been suspended and 21 very active. We have commenced upgrading facilities to solve power challenges in the various communities,” Obi said.
Technical Manager EEDC, Mr. Canice Emeka noted that there was an ongoing FG transmission station in Ihiala, which when completed; Ihiala would experience steady power supply. Mr. Emeka explained that the existing line at Ihiala had been over stretched and his team was installing a breaker line and rehabilitating 33KV at Obosi to facilitate supply at Ihiala.
Mr. Ken Emeakayi, Anambra South Senatorial Candidate for Advanced People’s Democratic Alliance (APDA), commended Gov. Obiano for his zeal to improve electricity supply in the entire state. Emeakayi urged EEDC to speed up action in some areas where power was a challenge.
Transition Committee Chairman, Ihiala LGA, Mr. Ifeanyi Odumegwu, commended Obiano for the intervention but complained that they had suffered in the past 10 years because of power outage. Odumegwu noted that inadequate power supply in Ihiala had crippled their socio economic activities, yet received monthly bills from EEDC, calling on government to urgently intervene.