The Youths of the Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom have staged a protest at the Ibom Power Plant on Monday and Tuesday over poor electricity supply in their area for the past 15 years.
According to reports, the youths made barricades at the entrance to the Ibom power plants with dead bodies gotten from a mortuary.
The protest was a outrage against the bad electricity supply that the community has endured for about 15 years, despite the fact that the Ibom Power Plant is located in their village.
Mr Archibong Williams, The youth leader of Ikot Abasi village and Chairman, Youth President’s Forum in the local government disclosed this to newsmen during the protest.
He said,
“We host a power plant that is called the Ibom Power Plant and for years, it has been generating electricity, but we don’t see the electricity and the host communities have nothing to show for it. We have been in darkness for 15 years.
“Sometime last year, we gave a 21-day ultimatum, which was extended to one year and some days, but our grievances were not addressed.
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“The youths, yesterday (Monday) and today (Tuesday), decided that the company was not going to operate again. So, we have shut down the company and put eight corpses by the gate as a traditional injunction to stop movement in and out of the company.”
In response to the protest and allegation of poor electricity supply for 15 years, the Ibom Power Plant managing director, Mr Meyen Etukudo, stated that “the management of the firm and the representatives of the host communities had been meeting and something was being done to remedy the situation”, The PUNCH reported.
He said,
“The overall youth President was in my office on Friday, January 10, 2020. He saw me here as I was going to see the governor for the approval of the substation in Ikot Abasi.
“The governor said I should present the memo at the Finance and General Purpose Committee headed by him and that was my first time to present a memo there, all because of the power issue in Ikot Abasi.
“And between Friday and yesterday (Monday), how many hours? “But the next thing the youth did was to shut down the place. The paramount ruler called me and I was there around 3pm yesterday (Monday).”
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