Delta State governor and vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has deplored poor supply of electricity to consumers in the state by Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
Okowa expressed his displeasure over the situation at the official opening of Lumen Christi College, Maryhill, Owanta in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state.
He said that even when residents and communities procured transformers and handed over to BEDC, “they will still charge them to energize it”.
According to the governor, “sometimes you install a transformer, the distribution company will ask you to come and pay even when you are handing over that transformer to them”.
He regretted that “even when you are ready to pay, they will delay you for six months and even for one year”, a situation he described as “frustrating”.
“Sometimes when we try to help communities, it is difficult because of BEDC’s delay.
“Even, when the transformers are energized and handed back to the distribution company, to get them to energise it, it will look like you are begging them to do so. It ought not to be so,” Okowa stated.
The governor lauded Rev. Fr. Mario David Dibie, the proprietor of the school, for his philanthropy and care for the poor and vulnerable in the society.
“While men are busy pushing after fame and ego, here is a man with God’s grace thinking about the very lowly in the society.
“It is a lesson and a story that should change our lives because when you see the life of a man like Fr. Dibie, every part of his story tells about his desire to assist the less-privileged.
“If we have more of him, Nigeria would be a better place. He is beginning to build a crop of young ones that will grow up to become responsible adults.
“It is not about the beauty and ambience of your school but the character you come out with from here will pave way for you in the future,”Okowa noted.
The vice-presidential hopeful lamented that the hardship in the country is creating monsters in the society.
“Due to the suffering in our nation, things are getting so bad and people are afflicted from the inside because of hardship. People are resorting to kidnapping and banditry because of hardship and it is a time for collective prayer for our nation,” he said.
He congratulated Fr. Dibie for helping improve society.
“On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I congratulate and rejoice with Fr. Dibie for this great feat because he is building a great society for Nigeria by helping to train our children,” Okowa added.
Welcoming guests earlier, Rev. Fr. Dibia said he was always guided by the Biblical injunction to always consider the poor in his dealings.
He disclosed that he had a covenant with God that 20 per cent of whatever he got would be for his maintenance while 80 per cent would go to the poor.
