Female police officer injured as Delta community protests two years blackout

Vehicular movement at the Ughelli axis of the East/West road was restricted for several hours as protesters from Agbarha-Otor community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State barricaded the road over neglect by the Benin Electrical Distribution Company, BEDC that has put the community in total blackout for over 26 months.

The placards and leaves carrying protesters with inscriptions such as, ‘Our children are suffering, Delta state government we need your immediate intervention, ‘DESOPADEC please don’t forget that we need light, ‘It is outright wickedness for all to keep mute, ‘ Agbarha-Otor has the largest Oil Manifold in Africa producing oil but we don’t have light, alleged that BEDC has intentionally kept the community in darkness for the past two years.

Speaking to newsmen, the coordinator of Concerned Indigenes of Agbarha-Otor, Mr. Aregbor Emmanuel, said, “For over two years now, BEDC has put the entire community in total darkness and we are appealing to the government to urgently come to the aid of the community because economic activities have remained to crumble in the area.

“Agbarha-Otor has the largest Oil Manifold in West Africa that produces thousands barrel of oil on a daily basis that feeds the nation but it is very surprising that the community did not have light for over 26 months now.

According to Aregbor, the leadership of the community has made several appeals to BEDC to restore light but the company has refused us light for no just cause, hence this peaceful protest to draw the attention of the necessary authorities.

Also speaking, an indigene of Agbarha-Otor who gave his name as Lucky Oborayiruvbe held that, “What is happening to our people in Agbarha-Otor is nothing but pure wickedness, If Agbarha-Otor could have 40 Oil wells that produce over 11,000 barrels of oil on daily basis and with the dollar rate, the community contributing over N9b to the federal purse daily. What stops the community from getting light?

“Agbarha has the biggest oil manifold in West Africa which everybody can attest to, we have people representing us at State and National House of Assembly and nobody is looking into our condition, during election periods they came and promised us that hey will give us light but immediately they were voted in, they forget their campaign promises.

“The 13 percent derivation given to states by the federal government is as a result of what these our producing communities produce and Agbarha-Otor is among the communities. In the community we pay the light bill as when due but when the 33kva we had got damaged; the company would tell us to replace it with our money or we should call on the government to replace it for us.”

Mrs. Rebecca Udi and Mrs. Eda who led the women protest disclosed that economic activities in the community is nothing to write home about because BEDC has decided to put them in total darkness. They vow not stop the protest unless light is restored to the community.

However, the protest turned violence when a policewoman who attempted to teargas the protesters, was reportedly attacked by the angry protesters.

The policewoman was bleeding profusely from injuries sustained from attacks, and she was reportedly rushed to hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the spokesperson of the BEDC in the area for official reaction proved abortive as her phone was said to be switched off.