Sapele Power Crisis: I feel your pains, Omo-Agege tells residents

———–By Shedrack Onitsha,————–

The Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has told the resident and stakeholders in Sapele, Delta State that he feel their pains over the near total darkness the once industrial town has been subjected in the past four years.

 

Speaking at a Town-Hall meeting in Sapele, Sunday, Senator Omo-Agege, disclosed that the Senate has received the petition form stakeholders from Sapele and have referred it to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition for investigation, adding that the purpose for the Town-Hall meeting was to abreast himself with the position of the people of Sapele as it affects the power crisis which has lead to many protest.

 

Recalled that Sapele city the host of the popular AT&P also plays host to two power generating plants, a 80 megawatts capacity multi-purpose power step-down set up about ten years ago for the purpose of providing regular power supply to the community, yet the town has been plunged into darkness by Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

 

According to Omo-Agege; “I requested for a petition to be drafted so I can present same to the Senate.  It took a while but eventually, the petition got to me and I have presented it on the floor of the Senate.  The petition has been debated and referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition.

 

“I’m confident that by the time some of you appear before the Committee and it finishes its work, the refrain, ‘No light, No Peace’ would change.”

 

He urged the people of Sapele to remain calm while the Senate goes about addressing the issue from the national level, adding that he has to champion the cause of the people as he is their representative at the Senate.

 

He used the occasion to inform the people that apart from the power supply issue which he is handling at the Senate, he had succeeded in allocating fund to the construction of the Sapele-Agbor dual carriageway in the 2017 budget, adding that soon the contractor would mobilized to site, to start work from the Sapele axis of the highway.

 

Omo-Agege also informed stakeholders that by the end of June 2017, he would organize a Senatorial briefing at the Urhobo House in Uvwiamuge in Ughelli North, to give account of his stewardship at the Senate to the people of Delta Central Senatorial District.

 

Earlier, Comrade Benson Okorodudu and several participants at the meeting had narrated the level of suffering Sapele people subjected to because of poor power supply to the town, effort made at several meetings with the representatives of the town and the managements of the BEDC, which has yielded no appreciable results.

 

According to Okorodudu, economic activities of the town had come to almost a halt as the town could hardly enjoy 70 hours of power supply in a month, out of about 730 hours in a month, adding that the situation is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by Sapele resident who for long have been taken for granted by BEDC.

 

Prominent leaders of Sapele community at the Townhall meeting includes the Local Government Council chairman, Hon. Ejaife Omizu Odebala, Chief Felix Anirah, Rev. Father Chris Ekabo, Chief Tom Anirah, Moses Ogodo among others.