Residents of Ikot Nte village, the hometown of Nigerian international footballer William Troost-Ekong, have cried out over a prolonged power outage that has left the community in darkness for nearly two decades.
The Village Head, Chief Joshua Amos, told journalists on Tuesday that the community, located in Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, has been without electricity for 19 years, crippling businesses and social activities.
“This is the 19th year we have been without power, and it appears that the Akwa Ibom State government is indifferent to our plight,” Amos lamented.
He noted that Ikot Nte, which also produced Ufot Ekong—renowned for his academic feats in Japan and two patents in electric car development—had only had two months of electricity before supply was cut off entirely.
Beyond the power crisis, the village head highlighted other pressing issues, including the dilapidated condition of buildings and staff quarters at the Community Secondary School in Ikot Nte, as well as the deplorable state of the Ikot Obio Eka-Ikot Ibok-Ikot Nte-Mbioto Road, which leads to the General Hospital in Mbioto.
However, he praised the intervention of Ikot Nte indigenes in the diaspora, particularly the Ikot Nte USA World Forum, which has funded critical projects such as borehole water facilities, solar-powered streetlights, and road grading to alleviate the community’s suffering.
“Our sons and daughters abroad have made it possible for us to live with some dignity. They have continued to support us despite the government’s neglect, and we will keep praying for them,” he said.
A community project coordinator, Jonathan Abasiubong, traced the blackout to the failure of the community’s transformer, which broke down shortly after it was commissioned by former Governor Victor Attah on February 24, 2006.
