By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA- The traditional ruler of Isiala Isiugwu autonomous community in Ugwunagbo Council Area, Abia State, Eze Harry Ugwuala, has decried the lack of electricity in his community and urged the federal and state governments to provide them with transformers, poles and cables.

In an interview with SEV, the monarch disclosed that since the creation of his community, it had never had electricity and lamented that the situation has impeded development in the area. He disclosed that a transformer attracted to the community by a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Eziuche Ubani, was yet to be installed as the community cannot afford the cost.

Eze Ugwuala who is the chairman, Ugwunagbo Council of Traditional Rulers, stated that the community had written several letters to the Abia State Government through the Abia State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission, ASOPADEC, but nothing has been done. He, however, explained that some government officials had visited the community and inspected some sites for the installation of transformers.

“Since the creation of Isiala Isugwu community, we have never had electricity. “We have made communal efforts to lay some poles, but the cost of electricity project is too high. We can’t afford it. It is shocking that in this age of globalisation, the five villages that make up the community have never seen electricity. The situation has impeded development in my community. This is why we are calling on the government to make efforts to install electricity in Isiala Isiugwu community. We have written several letters to ASOPADEC.

“I have been in contact with the member representing Obingwa/Osisioma Ngwa/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency, Hon. Solomon Adaelu. He has told me that our electricity project was covered in the 2017 national budget and promised to help attract transformers and cables to us. Some government officials have visited us in the past and we took them to the areas they can install electricity transformers and cables but we have not heard from them.

“Recently, a team monitoring the implementation of projects listed in the 2017 federal budget visited my community to confirm if the project has kicked off. But we are still hopeful that the federal or state government will help us to actualise this electricity project in Isiala Isiugwu community,” the monarch said.

Vanguard observed that the Isiala Ugwu community hosts the Ugwunagbo council headquarters in Osusu-Aku which is about 10km from Aba town.