By Samuel Ogude, Godwin Edafe & Oghenegweke Lucky
The Ovie of Okparabe Kingdom in Ughelli South Local government Area, Delta State, His Royal Majesty, Andrew Oghenevwodo Isakpa III has lamented the abandonment of the construction of Sola Mini Electrification Project in Okparabe Community and called on the contractor handling the project to mobilize to site and complete the job to see that the project serves the need of the people.
The Royal Father stated this in a chat with newsmen in his palace at Okparabe Community recently. He said, the project, when completed, would serve the entire community saying at present, the reverse is the case. He said, the rumour making the round that he monopolized the project to his palace is not true saying, the contractor only connected the solar energy to his palace and left just as he said, even at that, the light is not regular.
He said:” I was in like this, when the solar contractor came to me that he wants to put solar energy in the community, I told him to go to the Town Hall , put it there to serve the entire community and he left. Later, the contractor brought the solar materials to my palace. And I asked him, have you finished with the entire community? He said, he wants to do my own first, and I did not set eyes on him again.” He said when he had gone, he discovered that only his palace gets light, which according to him, he is not happy. He said:” It is not true that I monopolize the solar energy, I am not selfish that I should eat alone and allow my subjects to suffer.”
Okparabe Monarch expressed sadness over the way some people spread rumours saying, it is those peddling this rumour that engineered the contractor to abandon the project. He said:” It is this group of people who don’t want the good of the community that worked with the contractor to ensure the entire community is not served with the solar energy to give their “head”, not me a bad name”.
The Royal Father said, the so- called solar energy does not come all the time as it comes at about 6.00pm and before 10.00 pm, it is gone. He wondered why some one would think that he would use what is meant for the entire community alone. He said:”Why would one think that I alone, would use what belongs to the entire community? I am not a selfish man; I want the good of the kingdom”. The Ovie of Okparabe Kingdom said, he is not happy that other people do not get the energy to use because it ought to be used by the entire community.
He therefore cautioned against rumour peddling among his subjects just as he called on the contractor to come back and complete his job to serve the purpose for which the solar energy is meant. He said:”I am not particularly happy that other areas are in darkness, the light ought to serve everybody. I use this medium to call on the contractor to mobilize to site and complete the project”. It would be recalled that on 19th November, 2021 Rt. Honorable Ejiroghene Waive representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Federal Constituency gave Solar Mini Grid to Ewu-Otor Okparabe Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area,Delta State and the project was expected to have been completed within three months.