By Kelvin Ololo
Residents of Unebu community in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State, have called out the member representing Yakurr 1 State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Honorable Cyril Omini over non-functional transformer installed.
The plight of the people was brought to limelight when a community member, Edu Ideba in a video on social media lamented about the situation.
The issue was also picked by public accountability platform, the Tracka on X, tagging Hon. Cyril James Omini. Tracka said the transformer, donated to the community, had remained unenergized for more than a year.
According to Miss. Edu and Tracka, the situation meant that although the transformer was physically present in the community, residents were still unable to access electricity through the facility. It also alleged that residents had marked a second Independence Day without electricity despite the transformer being available in the community.
The development has raised questions about what remains to be done before the equipment can become operational, particularly the roles of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in the process.
Responding to the concerns on X, Omini acknowledged the problem and said the transformer donation was facilitated by him, while the process of energization involved PHED and NERC.
He said the outstanding requirements included inspection, metering and a connection agreement, adding that he had directed his office to immediately engage both institutions and formally request a timeline for the process.
“An unenergized transformer has not delivered value, and the people of Unebu deserve better,” Omini said.
The lawmaker also called on NERC and PHED to act, assuring residents that he would continue to follow up on the matter until the community receives electricity.
“Yakurr deserves working infrastructure, not monuments,” he said.
For Unebu residents, however, the immediate concern is no longer simply the provision of a transformer but whether and when the equipment will be connected and made functional.
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