Delta Community-Ubulu-Uku begins N10m rehabilitation of electricity installations

After over four years of blackout, a N10 million project has begun to rehabilitate electrical

installations to Ubulu-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State. Over the period of the cessation of power supply to Aniocha axis of the state, scores of electric poles and the entire electricity infrastructure in the town had collapsed.

The restoration plan involves the purchase of conductors, cross arms, insulators and other accessories as well as the replacement of cables and vandalised transformers. The project is being executed under the auspices of the Ubulu-Uku Development Union (UDU) whose President General, Jones Ofunne, initiated the mobilisation of the sons and daughters of the town to raise the money.

A town hall meeting had earlier been held last year to outline the extent of work involved in the project. Addressing the meeting where His Royal Majesty, Obi Edward Akaeze Ofulue III, the Obi of Ubulu-Uku, was also present, Ofunne said five transformers were being repaired while three new ones would be installed courtesy of Amaechi Mrakpor, the legislator representing Aniocha South LGA in the Delta State House of Assembly.

Speaking at the town hall meeting, Obi Ofulue noted that, while government and the private sector working together are to restore electricity supply in Ubulu-Uku, her sons and daughters should “make concerted efforts to key in by ensuring that our community benefits from that programme.”

He said that apart from power supply, other challenges facing the town are lack of potable water, erosion menace and absence of accessible roads to the various quarters.

Ofunne said indigenes of the town are being mobilised to fund the replacement of scores electric poles that had collapsed with about 40 already replaced following donations from some people while more donations are still being solicited from kind-hearted indigenes of Ubulu-Uku. He said the UDU is monitoring and encouraging the contractors building the 7.5KVA reinforcement of injection substation expected to reduce overloading of the distribution network in the town.

The youths have also been mobilised to clear the bush on the route of the high tension cables linking all parts of the town. According to Ofunne, up to 60 per cent of the cost has been raised through donations by well meaning individuals while more than 60 per cent of the project has been executed.

The eventual restoration of power supply to Ubulu-Uku is, however, contingent on the completion and commissioning of ongoing work at Asaba’s 330/132/33KA step down project.