Kogi Assembly Speaker Illuminate Okumi Community few months into office
… collaborates with Lokoja/Koto Reps member to step down power to end darkness
1st September, 2023
The speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Aliyu Umar Yusuf has stepped down power supply in Okumi Community, Lokoja Local Government Area for the first time in the history of the rural settlement.
This is contained in a press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the speaker, Yabagi Mohammed and made available to journalists in Lokoja.
He is executing the project in collaboration with the member representing Lokoja/Kogi (Kotonkarfe) Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon Danladi Suleiman Aguye.
The community which has never been lit with public power in its history had hoped that the electrification project of 2016 around the area, which connected neighbours to the national grid would benefit them, but their hopes continued to fade with each day, until the recent collaboration between the speaker and his National Assembly counterpart.
Speaking following the installation of concrete electricity poles and laying of cables to connect the village to the national grid in the face of several impediments, community members admitted that this was a huge leap that would help in harnessing local resources for socioeconomic development in the area and Kogi State in general.
They said the terrain had made the task difficult for those on site, but that the determination and further investments by the project executioners had seen completion in sight.
Residents of the area took turns to express gratitude to the lawmakers for fulfilling the people’s lifelong dreams by ensuring the amenity gets to the people, stressing that they remain indebted to the lawmakers.
The Speaker, had, during the electioneering campaigns, noted that he was aware of the challenges facing every community in his immediate constituency of Lokoja II and the Local Government in general, even as he did not expressly make any promises to the people, noting that he would ensure he justified the support he enjoyed when voted into office.
The people of Okumi had however emphasized the importance of the project to the development of their community, stating that it was capable of jump-starting many micro-economic engagements among the youths and women to improve their socioeconomic wellbeing.
