Aruogba Community in Darkness: Appeals to Gov. Okpebholo for New Transformer

By Rosemary Okoduwa

The Aruogba community in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State has appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo to urgently intervene in resolving its lingering electricity challenges by providing a functional transformer.

The Secretary of the Aruogba Landlord Association, Mr. Kingsley Ogbeide, made the appeal on Tuesday in Benin during an interview with journalists.

According to Ogbeide, residents of the community have endured persistent and crippling power outages for several years due to an old and overstretched 300KV transformer that can no longer meet the community’s growing electricity demand.

“Residents have been suffering from electricity shortages because of a very old and weak transformer. It is outdated and inefficient, resulting in constant blackouts,” he lamented.

Ogbeide explained that despite raising close to N2 million among themselves, the community still requires an additional N10 to N11 million to purchase and install a new transformer. The estimated cost of the project, he said, is between N12 to N13 million.

He added that the only transformer serving the entire community is located along the access road by St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, and it has long exceeded its capacity.

The Landlord Association’s Secretary further revealed that the community had earlier appealed to the immediate past Edo State government, led by Governor Godwin Obaseki, but unfortunately, their pleas were not addressed.

Now, with the emergence of Governor Okpebholo’s administration, the community is hopeful that its long-standing request will finally receive attention.

Ogbeide stressed the negative impact of the electricity crisis on daily life and economic activities in Aruogba, noting that small businesses, artisans, and households have been worst hit.

He, however, expressed optimism in the new administration’s rural electrification agenda, which prioritizes reconnecting neglected communities to the national grid, curbing estimated billing, addressing vandalism of power infrastructure, and ensuring transparent metering.

“We are ready to collaborate with the Edo State Government to access funding and support for this critical infrastructure. With a new and efficient transformer, our community can have a lasting solution to its electricity challenges,” Ogbeide assured.

The Aruogba community reiterated its commitment to partnering with the government to ensure sustainability of power supply and prevent future infrastructural breakdowns.