Imo: Egbu Community Gives Pres. Jonathan Ultimatum  

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Egbu Autonomous Community in Owerri North Local Government Area, Imo State, the landlords to the Electric Power Distributors, Inter City Company, has threatened a showdown if President Goodluck Jonathan does not rise to the conditions laid down by them over the location of power facilities in Egbu.

Egbu community made its stand known Monday, after the resolution of Umudozie kindred meeting of Mpama-Egbu, the hosts to the electric power distribution outfit, which was presided over by Chairman, Mr. Young Martins Opara.

The furious Egbu people lamented what they said were the side effects, resulting from the presence of the power facilities in their land, which they enlisted among others as health hazards, deprivation of farming, habitation inconveniences. The community has also claimed to have exhausted all genuine avenues to get compensation from the presidency, frowning at what they described as a dangerous slow pace of action. According to the Chairman of the host kindred, Mr. Young Martins, “Our patience is running out. We shall soon swing into action, by putting the operations of the sub-station to a halt. Presidency must act fast to save the situation”. About 10 hectares of land belonging to the Umudozie-Mpama, Egbu has for years been occupied by the power company which was then named National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), and subsequently Power Holding Plc.

The head of the host kindred, a 97-year-old man, Oha Nelson Opara, told journalists that the operations of the Electric Power Company has given Egbu community much inconveniences, saying that, they are becoming tired of controlling the anger of their people. Another elderly person from the community, Obilobi Azuike, was quoted as saying that the Federal Government should intervene quickly to save them from their prolonged suffering emanating from the consequences of the location of the power facilities. One of the youth leaders who would not want his name on print told our reporter that very soon, the Egbu youths, women and adults would troop out in large numbers to confiscate the power facilities and would block the traffic along Owerri- Umuahia road, to draw the attention of Federal Government to their plight. The community is demanding for a compensation to enable them relocate from the power facilities and to acquire another area for farming.

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