By Emmanuel Enebeli
Residents of Opete Community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State have expressed relief after a new 500KVA transformer was donated to restore electricity supply to the community following more than two years of power outage.
The transformer, donated by Olorogun Oscar Ishaka, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Community Development, arrived in the community on Thursday night, September 10, amid jubilation by residents.
According to reports from the community, the prolonged outage followed the breakdown of the previous transformer and had adversely affected economic activities, particularly for traders, artisans and other small business operators who depended on electricity to run their businesses.
Many residents had reportedly resorted to generators and other alternative sources of electricity, increasing the cost of doing business and placing additional financial pressure on households.
Ishaka, who is also the Okoke of Udu Kingdom and a former President of Opete Community, said his decision to provide the transformer was motivated by concern over the prolonged hardship caused by the absence of electricity.
The arrival of the transformer was greeted with excitement as residents came out to receive the equipment when it was brought into the community at about 10 p.m.
The development has renewed hopes among residents that normal economic and social activities will return to Opete after years of coping with the effects of the blackout.
Beyond the immediate restoration of electricity, the intervention is expected to support small businesses, improve evening activities and provide better conditions for students and households.
The Opete experience also highlights the wider importance of reliable electricity to rural and semi-urban communities, where prolonged outages can affect livelihoods and slow local development.
The report on the donation was published on September 10, making it one of the freshest community-development stories from Delta State ahead of the weekend.
