Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
A coalition of civil rights groups in Afikpo/Edda Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State has urged political office holders from the area to restore electricity to Afikpo, the constituency headquarters, as a precondition for campaigning ahead of next year’s general elections.
The groups specifically called out elected officials from the zone, including the member representing the constituency in the House of Representatives, Iduma Igariwey, and the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Princess Patricia Obila.
They also criticised lawmakers representing the two state constituencies, as well as other political actors and aspirants in the area.
The groups—Afikpo Intelligentsia in the Diaspora (AID), Restore Afikpo Light Campaigners Abroad, and Odinma Afikpo Group (OAG)—made their position known in a joint statement issued on Friday.
The statement was signed by Charles Otu (OAG), Olughu Franklin Nnamdi (AID), and Collins Alum Eze (Restore Afikpo Light Campaigners Abroad).
They were reacting to comments attributed to Igariwey, in which he reportedly stated that funding constituency projects falls under the purview of the Federal Government, not individual lawmakers.
The lawmaker also described recent online criticisms over the prolonged lack of electricity in Afikpo, particularly in his Ehugbo community, as stemming from ignorance.
However, the groups disagreed, arguing that existing laws—including the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electricity Act 2023, and the Electricity Act (Amendment) 2025—provide lawmakers with mechanisms to compel action from relevant authorities.
According to them, the lawmaker could have raised a Motion of Urgent Public Importance on the floor of the House of Representatives to highlight the issue and stimulate debate.
They also pointed to his influential role as co-chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, which they said could have been leveraged to attract attention and resources to the problem.
The groups recalled that in 2020, Igariwey summoned officials of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to a public hearing, where he expressed constituents’ frustrations over nearly two decades of power outage.
However, they expressed disappointment that no visible follow-up actions have been taken since then.
The coalition further argued that since 2015, the lawmaker could have ensured the inclusion of the Amasiri-Afikpo transmission line in the national budget and pursued its implementation.
They also suggested he could have filed formal petitions to agencies such as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to prioritise the constituency.
“After 12 years in the National Assembly, Afikpo deserves more than appeals behind closed doors. The situation requires concrete legislative actions—motions, committee hearings, and budgetary provisions that compel accountability,” the statement read.
While acknowledging Igariwey’s contributions in road construction, water projects, and limited empowerment programmes, the groups expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as insufficient attention to electricity challenges.
They cited examples of other lawmakers who have facilitated improvements in power supply within their constituencies, including a recent initiative by a federal lawmaker in Imo State who distributed dozens of transformers to communities.
The groups also noted ongoing efforts by the state government and other stakeholders to complete the 132kVA Amasiri substation, but insisted that more proactive intervention was expected from the federal representative.
They accused Igariwey of avoiding public engagement on the issue and called on him to convene a town hall meeting to address constituents directly.
“We urge him to hold a solemn assembly where he can engage the people in a frank discussion about his efforts and present a clear roadmap for restoring electricity to Afikpo,” the statement added.
They emphasised that the prolonged blackout has caused significant economic losses and hardship, stressing that the restoration of power remains a top priority for residents of the constituency.
