Senator facilitates restoration of power supply to C/River LGA after 7 yrs

Sen. Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe has began move to restore power supply to the entire Bekwara Local Government Area and parts of the Northern senatorial district of Cross River following seven years of blackout.

Infopowerng reports that the process to restore power supply to the areas commenced on Friday when the contractor for the project mobilised to site.

The process started with the commencement of concrete poles erection for mounting of several roles of aluminium conductors that would stretch from Gakem, Nyanya communities through Vandekia to Markudi in Benue State where the local government would be reconnected to the national grid.

An offical of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) who is supervising the project, said over 60 concrete poles is expected to be erected.

The JEDC official who pleaded anonymity, said that Benue state falls under the zone where they operate.

While conducting newsmen around the area, he disclosed that all the needed materials and equipment including transformers have been provided to ensure speedy completion of the project.

He further said that the project was been executed by the Niger Delta Affairs ministry through Sen. Agom-Jarigbe who facilitated the project.

“As you can see, all that is needed is here to ensure speedy completion of the project,” he stated.

He implored members of the benefiting communities to ensure adequate security of the facilities to guard against vandalisation when completed.

Speaking in Gakem, the historic town where the first shot signaling the commencement of the Nigeria civil war was fired, a community leader, Chief Odey Simon commended the facilitator of the project.

He noted that commercial activities that have been crippled with lack of power supply would be resuscitated after restoration of supply to the area.

According to him, “This singular intervention from our Senator is one of the best things he has done given the multiplier effect this is bound to usher into our locality.

“The passion and commitment demonstrated by Senator Jarigbe to the betterment of our people in Cross River North is unprecedented despite his short stint as our Senator. We remain ever grateful and appreciative of this humane disposition.”

Speaking in Aboucheche, the headquarters of Bekwara Local Government, a youth leader, Agan Sunday expressed delight at the intervention and described it as an “answer to prayers.”

“We have been groping in darkness for several years now having been disconnected from the national grid courtesy of the ill-fated State Government Independent Power Plant in Obudu which did not last for six months after taking off in 2016.

“Vandals capitalized on the prolonged blackout and vandalised the line from here to Benue thereby prolonging our miseries’ Our Senator Jarigbe has done what Napoleon could not do,” he said.

It could be recalled that the Paramount Ruler of Bekwarra, Linus Odey, had at different fora appealed to the government to restore public power to the local government area.

He had lamented that the absence of electricity has stagnated economic growth, commerce, and economic prosperity despite their abundance of natural endowments in the area.