Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has called for community sensitisation on the current state of power distribution in the state.

The governor who stated this Tuesday, when the management team of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) led by its Chairman, Mr. Victor Osibodu, paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba, said most communities show reluctance in paying electricity bills for fear that power would not be received.

“There is a need for our communities to be sensitized on your activities because the various communities over the years pay bills and do not receive any power supply so they need to be enlightened that you are something different than what has been perceived,” Okowa said.

He added: “We have sometimes seen communities get hostile because they believe that the services will never come after they have made payments.”

He said that the current power distribution which was 140 megawatts that the state got was quite inadequate and called for better power distribution to all parts of the state.

“This state since 1999 has invested a lot in distribution networks and I hope that that will be an advantage for us, but the figures for distribution which is between 100-140 megawatts is quite alarming because it is a far cry from what we need but we hope that in the coming years things will improve because Delta State is strategically located to do a lot more in terms of power generation and we are hoping that we become a hub in the future,” he said.

The governor disclosed that efforts were being put in place for the security agencies to tackle the issues of power vandalism which is experienced in certain communities in the state.

Senator Okowa commended the Benin Electricity Distribution Company for its rapid distribution of power to the state despite certain challenges it might have faced and gave assurance of the state government’s support.

Speaking earlier the Chairman Mr. Victor Osibodu stated that strategies were being put in place to distribute sufficient power to all communities in the state.

In another development, Governor Okowa yesterday called for synergy among security agencies and government at all levels for a peaceful and investment friendly nation.

He made the call in Asaba when the General Officer Commanding [GOC] 2nd Division, Nigeria Army, Ibadan, Major General Laz Ilo, paid him a courtesy visit

Okowa noted that for citizens to live in a violence free, secured and peaceful society, there was the urgent need for collaboration among the various security agencies and government in order to bring security challenges to barest minimum.

He also pointed out that a peace atmosphere is important for investment to thrive, stressing that only then would there be jobs for the teeming youths and people.

“I have always asked for the security agencies, the Military, Police, Directorate of State Services and all other agencies, to collaborate with each other and we are on the verge of trying to ensure that we are able to work more closely with minimal funding to be able to achieve our dreams so that we can have a more peaceful state,” he said.

Governor Okowa also told his guest that there is need for the security agencies and the civil authorities to always relate with each other, adding: “I believe that as we continue to collaborate with each other in our various states and nationally, that we will have a more peaceful and investment friendly nation and to that extent we will be able to begin to create jobs for our teeming youths and by the time you are able to take up a lot of youths in our programmes of job creation, we are likely going to have a more peaceful environment, and reduce the number of idle hands that will begin to think of creating crisis and insurgency.”

While commending the security agencies in the state particularly the army for its role in tackling the security challenges facing the country and the state, Governor Okowa decried the spate of kidnappings in the country and promised continued support for the security agencies to combat crimes such as kidnappings, pipeline vandalism.

“Crimes such as kidnapping, maritime threats and armed robbery have posed major challenge to our state, but our government have been working with security agencies including the military to ensure that we are able to tackle effectively these vices in our society, we are working effective with the military and we are trying to put things together to see how we can tackle the menace of kidnapping, vandalism and issues concerning armed robbery,” he said.

While appealing to Deltans especially the youths to give peace a chance, protect the oil installations in their locality and stop any form of vandalism, Senator Okowa disclosed that the state government would soon embark on advocacy and engage the various communities and youths on peace building so as to nip crisis in the bud.

“I want to appeal to youths and people both on land and in the creeks that we must give peace a chance and we must ensure that we actually seek to maintain oil facilities and pipelines, we should not vandalise our pipelines and disrupt oil production, I believe that there is a need to engage our people and we are putting in place bodies in government that will very soon engage with our communities effectively to ensure that we will nip crisis in the bud” the governor said.

Earlier, the GOC, 2nd Division, Nigeria Army, Major General Ilo said that they were on a familiarisation tour of all army units and formations in the Division and acquaint themselves with the people and government in the seven states that make up the Division.

He reiterated the readiness of the Army to combat security challenges and reduce criminality and lawlessness to its barest minimum so as to make the state conducive for investment.

•Photo shows Gov. Okowa

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