Hope is rising as Ukanafun Local Government urban in Akwa Ibom State returns to electricity ways after wallowing in blackout for more than eight years despite successive local government administrations in the area.
Owing to vandalisation of electricity basic infrastructure and abandonment of contracts award, Ikot Akpa Nkuk, the local government headquarters and its environs beam hope of electricity supply.
Unfortunately, the economic life of the urban and its environ is ebbing and social life is gravely zeroing thus easing suspected pick pockets, phone snatchers, kidnappers and robbery suspects to have a field day in the area.
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The hope bringer is the member representing Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Rep. Unyime Idem, who pledged to restore electricity in Ukanafun Local Government Area within 90 days, sympathising with the Ukanafun people for groping in darkness for years.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement, handed down the goodnews after directing a team of engineers to undertake and complete it on record time.
The representative of the two-term member, a former Secretary of Ukanafun Local Government Council, Obong James Ekeker during the assessment exercise inspected the vandalised project to assess the extent of damage with a view to linking the local government area to National grid.
Upon completion of assessment, the engineers gave Rep. Idem a list of items needed and the cost implication, assuring him that the project will be fixed and power restored to the local government in 90 days.
Rep. Idem’s representative promised to provide the required facilities as soon as possible, to fast track the restoration of power to the area.
He also pledged to donate transformers to some affected areas, as part of his commitment to boosting power supply in the area.
The Federal Lawmaker, however, directed villages in the local government area to set up security committee, with the mandate to protect the power infrastructure within their domains, from vandalism.
Recap
During his first term in the office, ex- Governor Godswill Akpabio awarded the electrification project to Diamond Engineering to link the area to National grid.
However, the job was truncated and abandoned as some villages bereft of electric palnted poles and wires but without transformers.
Ukanafun was linked through Ikot Okoro Road in Abak-Atim Akpeke Eto – Ikot Ubo – Etim Ekpo Road to the council secretariat at Ikot Akpa Nkuk which joined the existing one along Ekparakwa-Ukanafun Federal Highway.
Then came Bishop Sam Akpan who planted poles, wired it and routed electricity to Ikot Ibekwe though electricity supply was ill-fated.
The situation worsened during the crisis that rocked the area that forced many people to flee from the urban and other villages to neighbouring local government areas, thus compelling criminal elements to vandalise the electric wires, poles and transformers.
Ex-Governor Udom Emmanuel era provided electricity electricity through Ikot Oku Usung Road to some adjoining villages.
