From Ifeoma Ejiofor
The hilly town of Ukpor in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State is currently experiencing a mass exodus of indigenes, residents and industrialists.
The mass exodus of the people is occasioned by a persistent power outage which has thrown the sleepy community into a blackout for almost one year.
An industrialist in the town Mr. Pius Onyinyechukwu Onyeagusi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Excel Table Water Company in an interaction with journalists lamented that the power outage has destroyed all he laboured so hard to set up in the town.
Mr Onyeagusi said “I decided to set up the table water business in Ukpor my home town to provide employment opportunities for the teeming youths in my area but this aim has become defeated due to the challenges of constant shortage of power supply.
“As I am talking to you, I have to close up the factory because of this challenge of power outage. Although it is not my wish to do so because it gives me joy to see many families and youths benefitting from my ventures.
“Running industrial machines on diesel is counter productive to say the least, this is coupled with very high cost of raw materials and other factors of production. There has not been power supply to Ukpor in a six month stretch. Every day I spend more than N25,000 to buy diesel and at the end I don’t make a profit of N5000 in a day.
“I incure a loss of N400,000 monthly. This wouldn’t have been so if there is power supply, I have been trying to bear it because of the families that depend on us for their survival but I can no longer continue. I cannot continue to operate at a loss.
“I have closed up my factory twice but each time I did, my wife would plead and remind me of families that eat from it and youths that gain employment from it, I will reopen on compassionate ground. I don’t think I will open the factory again this third time. It’s not reasonable to continue to inject money into a business and contine to operate at a loss.
“Neighbouring towns like Ebenator, Amichi, Ozubulu, Oraifite and others have electricity supply but it’s a different story in Ukpor which is Headquarters of Nnewi South LGA.
“Many industrialists are relocating their factories out of Ukpor, the same thing is applicable to indigenes, residents and even artisans who are exiting to other communities that can boast of power supply.
“I have done everything humanly possible to ensure that electricity is restored in Ukpor but I always run into a brick wall because it’s like I am the lone voice crying in the wilderness about Ukpor blackout.
The CEO of Excel Table Water Company revealed that he has engaged with the officials of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) who told him point blank that it is difficult to supply electricity to Ukpor as there are few industries in the town and as such the community cannot foot their bills if given electricity.
Mr Onyeagusi called on all Ukpor Stakeholders, President General(PG) of Ukpor Improvement Union(UIU) Sir Ignatius Nwawulu and his executive council to sit up and get to the root of the matter before Ukpor the Headquarters of Nnewi South LGA is reduced to a ghost town.
The embittered industrialist also took a swipe on the member of the Anambra State House of Assembly who is representing Ukpor for not doing anything to bring the issue of power outage in his constituency to the front burner.
He appealed to the Anambra State government under the leadership of Prof Charles Soludo and the Federal Government to remember Ukpor in their prosperous and habitable Anambra initiative.
Mr Onyeagusi however commended the Anambra State Government and the Federal Government for curbing insecurity that has bedeviled the town.