BY KINGSLEY AZUH

IT is a fact of life that when light appears, darkness disappears. Light represents everything that is beautiful while darkness is associated with evil. The maker of heaven and earth, the Almighty God created day and night but because of the importance placed on light, man tries through the knowledge of science to lighten the night to look like the day. This is where electricity plays important roles in the life of man, who desires the best in life.
Light drives away evil as no evil work thrives in the light, but darkness accommodates evil and encourages evil men to go on with their nefarious activities. Little wonder, the State Government made street lightning one of its major priorities. It is on record that since the State Government installed street lights in some major cities and highways in the State, crime rate has gradually reduced and social life has also improved tremendously.
Apart from the social benefits of electricity, the economic benefit is most important to every progressive society. Some notable foreign companies left the shores of this country because they were spending millions in electricity generation.
Our local industries and entrepreneurs need steady power supply to go on with their businesses, and where this is not coming, they get frustrated, and the next step is to join the army of unemployed people.
People move from the villages to the cities to seek for better ways of life, especially because of electricity even when it is not steady. After all, half bread is better than none.
The State Government knows the importance of electricity in the socio-economic development of the State and is putting measures in place to ensure that the issue of power is tackled frontally and holistically.
In actual fact, the State Government has intervened massively in the power sector in the State by contributing to the development of infrastructure for generation, and distribution of electricity power supply.
According to the Commissioner for Power and Energy, Mr Charles Emetulu, in a telephone interview, before the advent of the present democratic dispensation in May 1999,only about 20% of the upland parts of the State were connected to the National grid through the effort of the State Government.
Mr Emetulu said that over 1,260 distribution transformers of various capacities were injected by the State Ministry of Energy into the National grid.
These transformers according to him include 300KVA, 11/0.415KV, 500KVA, 11/0.415KV, 300KVA, 33/0.415KV, 500KVA, 33/0.415KV which also include the construction of over 1,257km of 33KV and 11KV overhead lines, 951,000km of township distribution network necessary for the extension of power supply to communities without electricity as well as reinforcing and upgrading of existing power distribution installations.
In the area of generation, the State Government is constructing 128MW Independent Power Plant (IPP) at Oghareki, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the State.
For renewable energy, the Delta State Government is in the forefront of shopping for investors to the State. Government has completed a mapping of solar and wind resources in the State so that investors willing to invest in small/community level power generation projects have access to pre-determined location for such projects.
In actual fact, the State Government has continued to respond positively to the demands of communities that need additional transformers to improve electricity generation in their areas.
Recently, the State Government through the Secretary to the State Government, Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay, donated four 300 KVA electricity transformers to the people of Abraka Kingdom, Ethiope East local government area of the state.
Presenting the transformers to the people at the palace of the Ovie of Oria Ivie Abraka, Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay said that the donation was in fulfilment of the promise he made to the people on behalf of the state government.
Macaulay said that government’s gesture was to help address the problem of poor power supply in the area, adding that the overriding objective of governance was to ensure that the dividends of democracy get to the people.
He urged the people in the area to liaise with the authorities of the Power Holding Company (PHCN) PLC and the officials of the State Ministry of Power and Energy to ensure that the transformers were evenly distributed in order to serve the purpose for which they (the transformers) were donated by the state government.
The SSG disclosed that the transformers were about to be distributed before the death of Senator Pius Ewherido, pointing out that the state government had to wait till everything about his burial was over before coming to distribute them as a mark of respect for the late distinguished Senator.
On the issue of deplorable road network in the area, Macaulay said that the measurement of the roads had been taken and gave the assurance that the road project would be incorporated into the 2014 budget of the state government.
He urged the people to reciprocate government’s gesture by supporting the policies and programmes of the Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan led administration in the state to enable them enjoy more dividends of democracy.
Receiving the donated transformers, the Ovie of Oria Ivie Abraka kingdom, HRH, Uku Okevwolo Akpomeyoma Majoro Ojeta II, expressed appreciation to the state government for the transformers which, he said, would tremendously go a long way in promoting socio-economic activities in the area, pointing out that the gesture would, also, encourage students of Delta State University, Abraka, who live off campus to study without tears.
In their separate remarks, the transition committee chairman of Ethiope East local government council, Okako Onoriode Sunday, the Urban Youth Leader in the area, Mr. Kelvin Oguvwu and Chief Julius Ogboru who could not hide their feelings, commended the state government for the gesture, even as they assured that they would continue to be supportive of the present administration in the State led by Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan.
The State Government has done well in its effort to ensure that there is improvement in electricity supply in the State. A tour round the State tells the true story of what the State Government is actually doing in the area of power distribution.
Communities that are lucky to benefit from the distribution of these transfers should assist government by ensuring that they are not vandalized.