The project was originally started by the Federal Government roughly ten years ago (around 2016 when initial enumeration exercises were conducted) before facing delays and being abandoned for greater good.
What we should ask is ,why was it abandoned? Which must drag us through the Pros and Cons of the deal ,then calculate the economics implications and humanity interest.
Originally the TRANSMISSION was routed through NNEWI Town ,we know Nnewi has Mouth in every Government, they have powers that can crush any Government if they rally as one bunch. They bite more than they bark ,and in igbo parlance it’s an established fact na anaghi efo Nnewi,na arachaghi Ñmanú Ûtûtû ,because they have the fingers that caress the clitoris of goddess and they have Decanter to dilute anomalies.
They are Fed before the banquet were served,so you can’t threaten them with non serving them of the food.
So they rose and frustrate the effort as it will cause unmitigated destruction to Ancestral homes of aborigines ,they insured all Trees from Ñkwú,Ukwa ,Ube ,Mango and even Paw paw ,they obtain Legal injunction,also insurance that provides, should Government fell any of the crops,they will pay exceedingly above expectations,then factor the amount Projected for the ancestral Houses, it was cumbersome to even the Federal as they stylishly forgo the effort.
The Feds knew na Uche ka Eji Agba afa and they stayed action ,Maka stirring the Honest Nest is easy , but retiring the agitated bees are the concern,Maka asking Mmadu na óga anyú anwu is from one hasn’t been stung by aggressive bees from Nnewi.
Then Gov Charles Soludo came into government,I Mazi Odera POg JP wrote a piece pointing to the abandonment of the project which rendered the land Useless and it constitute security MENACE, judging from the proximity with the dreaded and deadly NNEWI,UTU,MBOSI to ISSEKKE road, which were made NO GO AREA for 3 years and 6 months the state Government were on Hibernation, until 6 months to re-election and what was considered impossible were made possible.
Then, UGM confiscated that stretch of road as operational base and not even kpanakwukwu were allowed to run across the tartan as it must be nabbed by the UGM government. That road were active Red zone.
So my concern was of the insecurities it constituted ,as it serve as comfort storage of kidnapped Victims, owing to the isolated locations and escape route it created.
Well,the Government must have some Lip gloss with EEDC and alliance must have reached,so Gov Soludo appointed Oversight committee to start negotiations with owners of the affected over a Thousand ancestral homes, actually it was more of a threat than negotiation,they simply wanted to bamboozle the citizens with Agberoic style,so they will submit.
But then ,they have shifted the original route which was NNEWI and OBOSI,now they looked at Nnobi and Óka Etiti as most Vulnerable and very easy Prey.
So they changed direction and mapped them as inconsequential,as there’s no Powerful player from that axis,the PG and the Igwe are all powerless,which was reason APGA made sure they empower puppets to serve as PG or Igwe in most communities.
They only enthrone Men who can’t say No ,nor challenge the Status quo or give them battle ,so the two towns provided the blind spot,as we speak ,I haven’t heard PG or Igwe of both towns meeting and strategizing on way forward.
The original design would’ve cost just few Poles between Obosi and Nnewi ,but rerouting of the High Tension through AWKA ETITI and Nnobi is like Israelites taking the route that cost them 40 Years from Egypt instead of the normal route that would’ve taken them less than a week trekking with Children.
NNEWI played the same game they played around 1962 when Federal Express road wanted to pass through Obosi to Nnewi, but Nnewi refused vehemently, forcing the Feds to reroute and using alternative road,but after the express that took Virgin lands through Oraifite and other towns, it brought serious development and appetizing attractions to the conceding towns, Nnewi now turn around demanding the Feds to come back for re-assessment and agreement,then and then ,the Government said EKWUSIGO,ohabu Ekwusia ,ebidokwa na Isi kwughariba ,which is where the name Ekwusigo emmanated.
The obsolete TCN Project will destroy over a thousand ancestral homes at Óka Etiti and NNOBI,just to fatten the wallet of EEDC .
This is one of the episode that made Late Genius Chinualum Achebe to shout “Gods must be crazy” ,but I will paraphrase and submit,the Government must be crazy.
The only alternative now is for the Government to stand down ,as the collateral will be too much .
The houses they will destroy in both towns ,do not have any land for relocation,plus the TCN TENSION wire , will not drop light to both towns and even if magically it will ,it doesn’t worth the destruction of the crops and houses , especially ancestral homes.
Let me end this by asking,why haven’t the Governor send this to House of assembly to discuss it ?.
Why can’t he even submit same to his EXCO,we know both House and EXCO doesn’t have the morals to go against him ,but it should make him understand the implications of such absurdity.
Nwoke Nnewi was faced with Ecclasatical lascality at the demise of Ifeanyi Ubah and he shouted in frustration AKACHAM ,so I borrow same frustration remonstration to say Edecham.
