New Telegraph 
Tony Anichebe Uyo
Against the backdrop of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s order recently for the immediate electrification of all communities in the state, Ibom Power has released 452 transformers for electrification of rural communities in Akwa Ibom State.
Speaking to newsmen in Uyo, the state capital, Thursday, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Emmanuel on Power Sector and Managing Director of Ibom Power, Engr Meyene Etukudoh, said the governor was ready to provide electricity to all villages in the state in his second term completion agenda.
Etukudoh said a breakdown of the number of transformers to rural communities revealed that 216 transformers were released by the Ministry of Rural Development, 50 from Inter Ministerial Direct Labour while 186 were released from the Power Sector.
He said the transformers were released in line with Governor Emmanuel’s slogan “Power for All” to ensure that all villages in the 31 local government areas are connected to power.
“Governor Udom Emmanuel gave a marching order to all the gazetted villages to hook up to electricity through the Ministry of Rural Development. 12 per cent representing 265 out of 2,274 villages in Akwa Ibom are not connected to the National Grid. So, the governor gave them a marching order two months ago and told the Ministry of Rural Development to connect them immediately.”
He regretted that the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) had never brought any transformer to Akwa Ibom since 2013.
