Light Up Ndokwa Nation Protest: Uzum Enjoins Delta Govt To Embrace Dialogue
By JOHNSON EBIGIDE
Eugene Azuka Uzum has advised Delta State Government to immediately embark on purposeful dialogue with Ndokwa Nation amidst brewing protests against perpetual darkness owing to complete breakdown of electricity supply through the national power grid in the area.
Uzum, a lawyer, policy analyst and politician, stated this against the brewing protests in Ndokwa Nation to drum home the collapse of electricity supply through the national grid in the oil rich area of Nigeria.
He urged the state government to dialogue with the people to douse the brewing tension while also acting fast by setting up a high-power technical committee to immediately look into an alternative source of power to light up the area, adding that stepping down the Okpai Independent Power Plant (IPP) would be the best option for now.
He said that Ndokwa Nation has abundant natural gas to power the plant to supply constant electricity in not only the area, but in some other neighbouring communities in the state, wondering why the state government over the years had not used the instrumentality of the Ministry of Energy in the state to address the festering power supply in the area.
Uzum said it made no sense for the oil companies in the area to continue to enjoy constant electricity supply, particularly in the residential quarters of their staff, when the host communities remained in darkness, just as he maintained that mere sugar coated political statements on the issue would not douse the brewing discontent among the aggrieved people of the area.
