Succor came the way of Oriba, a riverine community in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State as the State Government handed over an 8 kilometer rural electrification project.
According to the traditional ruler of the area, the community which has been in existence since the 17th century and without electricity got its first ray of hope over 18 years through the Federal Rural Electrification Board embarked on
the project but abandoned it until the Lagos State Government came to its rescue in 2014.
The Commissioner for Rural development, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi during the inauguration of the project said it was part of the rural electrification from Elerangbe to Oriba covering an area of 24 kilometers and serving over 18 communities, representing the Ministry’s longest rural electrification project, which necessitated its execution in phases following fund paucity.
He noted that the first phase commenced from Elerangbe junction to Ajegbenwa in Ibeju-lekki covering 9 kilometers which commenced in 2012 and was completed and commissioned in November the same year, while the second phase, a 5 kilometer long project was approved and executed in 2013 by direct labour from Ajegbenwa to Arapagi. The last phase of 9 kilometers long project from Arapagi to Oriba is what the Ministry presented.
Ojelabi added that the electrification project was the second project the
Ministry is handing over in Oriba, since it has handed over a Modified Type A water scheme recently.
He promised that the State Government will soon embark on the construction of their jetty next month, but challenge the residents on the role to play in the development of their community by collecting their PVCs and vote appropriately for them to continue to enjoy the largesse of the administration.
The member of the State House of Assembly representing Epe 1, Honorable Abiodun Tobun while thanking the state government for the gesture commended the Commissioner for his great work in uplifting the rural areas of the State, but urged it however to assist in the construction of the only road that link the community to the rest of the state to make commuting easy.
Earlier the Commissioner had called at Iba-Oloja another rural riverine community in Ibeju lekki LGA to hand over a rural electrification project where he charged the community members to protect the project from act of vandalism.
Present at the events were the Obas, Baales from the areas, the Executive Secretaries of Epe and Ibeju lekki, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Mr. Jafar Sanuth, and other management staff of the Ministry.
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