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The over seven years of power blackout in Bekwarra local government area of Cross River state would soon be a thing of the past as Sen. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe has concluded arrangement to restore electricity supply to the communities.
For some years now, some communities including Obanliku, Obudu, Yala and Ogoja in the northern senatorial district, where former Governor Ben Ayade comes from, have been out of public power supply for inscrutable reasons. This has adversely affected the socio-economic activities of the zone just as it has increased criminal activities.
Jarigbe, the Senator-elect, representing Cross River northern senatorial district, stated that the intervention to restore light to Bekwarra is in line with his promise to look into the power supply situation in his constituency during the campaigns.
Sources close to the community said already contractors have been mobilised to site for the planting of over sixty electric poles for mounting several rolls of aluminum conductors stretching from Gakem, Nyanya through Vandekia to Markudi in Benue to reconnect the area to the national grid.
In a statement, Jarigbe said the intervention is part of the on-going efforts to improve upon infrastructural development of his constituents and boost economic activities and social life of the people.
According to him, "we shall continue to do our little best to improve upon the life of our people whose major occupation is agriculture.
"Besides, we shall liaise with relevant stakeholders and agencies to see how we can attract more infrastructures so that our people can engage in more productive ventures to better their standard of living," he added.
Lauding Senator Jarigbe for the gesture, Chief Odey Simon from Gakim, said the development will resuscitate commercial activities which have been in the lull for several years due to lack of public power supply in Bekwara.
Odey acknowledged the essence of power, saying "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.
Also speaking in Aboucheche, a youth leader, who simply gave his name as Agan Sunday, said: "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 6 months after taking off in 2016.
"As a result of the failure, vandals capitalised on the prolonged blackout and vandalised the line from here to Benue thereby prolonging our miseries. We are happy that our Senator has done what Napoleon could not do,” the youth leader noted.
An official of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company, which oversees Benue where the line is expected to be linked to the grid, revealed that the needed materials and equipment including transformers have been provided to ensure speedy completion of the project which he disclosed is under the purview of Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
The official, who does not want his name in print, enjoined the benefiting communities to ensure adequate security of the facilities to guard against further vandalisation by criminal elements.
The Paramount Ruler of Bekwarra, HRH Linus Odey, had at different fora appealed to the government to restore public power to the local government area, lamenting that the absence of electricity has stagnated economic growth, commerce, and economic prosperity despite the abundance of natural endowments.
Similarly, the Senator has also facilitated the construction of the Ating Itek Ukpagada bridge that links some communities in Ogoja local government area of Cross River state.
The process for the construction work has begun with the handing over of the bridge to the contractor on Monday by the community in the presence of the Constituency Officer of Senator Jarigbe, Mr Egar Mgbangtul.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Mgbangtul, who represented the Lawmaker, said: "The bridge has been a major hindrance to school children and community members, restricting access to neighbouring villages in carrying out their day-to-day business activities during raining season.
"I enjoin the entire community to give the contractors maximum support as they embark on the construction. We urge the community to assume ownership of the project by giving the contractor the cooperation needed to ensure completion of the project on time."
Also speaking, one of the community leaders, Mr Felix Mowong, said they have longed for this day to come as the present state of the abandoned bridged have cost them untold hardship, adding that their children find it difficult to attend schools, especially during the raining season.
