Residents of Azama and Inikorogha communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State have protested at the entrance of the Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC), demanding the restoration of electricity after months without power.
The residents, made up of community leaders, women and youths, barricaded the company’s entrance at No. 1 Odion Street, Ekpan, on Wednesday, October 28.
They accused NGIC of failing to pay their indigenous electricity contractor, whose services they said had helped sustain power supply to the communities.
According to a report by Ndokwa Vanguard, the protesters carried placards with messages including “NGIC Give Us Light” and “Pay Our Contractor”. They also demanded an end to what they described as repeated broken promises.
Why the Communities Say They Have No Electricity
Chairman of Azama Federated Community, Layefa Ikpidi, said the contractor had not received payment from the company for more than a year.
He claimed that the contractor had continued to finance electricity supply with personal funds but could no longer sustain the arrangement.
An Azama community chief, Mercy Gbenekama, also said the contractor had been buying diesel to keep the communities supplied with electricity.
She put the duration of the blackout at almost six months.
The Chairman of Inikorogha Community, Williams Ubebe, similarly accused NGIC of making repeated promises to settle the outstanding payments without following through.
The community leaders appealed to the Delta State Government to intervene and help resolve the dispute.
Protest Turns Tense
The demonstration reportedly became confrontational after some residents of Ubeji and neighbouring areas challenged the protesters’ presence.
The report said some women and men, including the Azama community chairman, were allegedly assaulted during the confrontation.
Ikpidi also alleged that security operatives fired gunshots in an attempt to disperse the protesters. He said the matter had been reported to the Department of State Services for further attention.
These allegations have not been independently established.
NGIC Yet to Respond
At the time Ndokwa Vanguard published its report on October 29, NGIC management had not issued an official response to the residents’ claims.
The dispute raises questions about electricity access, host-community relations and the obligations of companies operating around communities that host critical energy infrastructure.
For the affected residents, however, the immediate demand is straightforward: a resolution of the payment dispute and the restoration of electricity.
Source: Ndokwa Vanguard, with additional reporting on the protest by PEB News.
