The planned protest against the prolonged power outage in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State has been suspended following appeals by security agencies and the local government authorities.
The protest, initiated by Chief JP Ngochindo, was scheduled to take place on Friday, September 11, 2026, to demand urgent restoration of electricity supply to communities in the oil and industrial-rich local government.
Announcing the suspension, Ngochindo said he had held discussions with the Divisional Police Officer of Eleme, SP Ifeanyi Nwafor; the Director of the Department of State Services in the area, Mrs Umbeh; and a representative of the Eleme Council of Community Development Committees, Pastor Monday Amadi Igwe.
He said the engagements were at the instance of the Chairman of Eleme Local Government Council, Hon. Obari Ollormate Ollor, who assured him that steps were already being taken to restore electricity to the affected communities.
“In lieu of the above, I write to inform all our people, especially the very oppressed, that having spoken with the Divisional Police Officer, SP Ifeanyi Nwafor, the Director of DSS, Mrs Umbeh, and the representative of the Eleme Council of Community Development Committees, Pastor Monday Amadi Igwe, as directed by the Chairman of Council, Hon. Obari Ollormate Ollor, assuring us of steps which are ongoing to ensure the restoration of light to our dear people, we have chosen to suspend the protest while we follow up the processes thereof,” Ngochindo said.
He said the public would be updated on further developments, expressing hope for “a better Eleme where all are treated with dignity.”
The planned protest followed months of frustration among residents over the prolonged electricity blackout, which has reportedly affected large parts of Eleme for more than eight months.
The outage has continued to impose hardship on residents, businesses and other economic activities in the local government, which hosts several major industrial establishments.
Residents have had to depend heavily on petrol- and diesel-powered generators, while those unable to afford generators have resorted to commercial charging centres to power their mobile phones and other essential devices.
The electricity crisis has also raised concerns among business owners and residents over the rising cost of operating without public power supply.
The Eleme Local Government Council had reportedly commenced moves to replace damaged feeder pillars and facilitate the restoration of electricity to affected areas.
However, the intervention was said to have been disrupted by heavy rainfall and flooding, which reportedly made it difficult to install replacement infrastructure.
The suspension of the protest now gives the local government authorities and other stakeholders an opportunity to pursue the promised measures towards restoring electricity, while residents await tangible action on the prolonged blackout.
Ngochindo said he would continue to monitor the process and communicate further developments to the public.If you want, I can also make this more punchy and investigative in Tell Magazine style, focusing on why an industrial hub like Eleme has remained without electricity for eight months.
