The Aruogba community in the Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State has appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo to provide a new transformer to address persistent electricity challenges in the area.

Secretary of the Landlord Association, Kingsley Ogbeide, explained on Tuesday in Benin City that the community had suffered constant power outages due to an old and weak 300 kV transformer that could no longer meet the electricity needs of residents.

Mr Ogbeide said the existing transformer, located near St. Andrew’s Catholic Church along the access road in Aruogba, was outdated and caused frequent electricity disruptions.

He added that despite raising nearly N2 million from residents, the community still needed an additional N10 to N11 million to buy and install a new transformer.

According to him, the total cost for a new, efficient transformer and its installation is estimated at between N12 million and N13 million.

He recalled that a similar appeal was made to the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki, but unfortunately, the community received no response.

He stated, “The association is now reaching out to the current government under Sen. Monday Okpebholo for assistance in resolving the power crisis affecting homes and businesses.’’

Mr Ogbeide stressed that the outages had impacted daily life, disrupted small businesses, and created a harsh living environment for residents of the community.

He acknowledged the state government’s ongoing rural electrification programme, which aimed to connect neglected communities to the grid and tackle electricity-related issues.

He also noted government efforts to improve metering, reduce estimated billing, and curb vandalism of public electricity infrastructure across Edo State.

Mr Ogbeide said replacing the current transformer with a modern, higher-capacity unit would be the most practical solution to meet the community’s energy needs.

The landlord association expressed willingness to collaborate with the government to access funding or support to upgrade electricity infrastructure in the area.

They emphasised that such collaboration could bring a lasting solution to Aruogba’s power problems and prevent similar issues from recurring.  

(NAN)