Copyright nigeriancurrent
The Ndokwa Association in America (NAIA) has called on the Federal Government and the Delta State governments to take all necessary steps to immediately step-down power (electricity) from Okpai Independent Power Plant (IPP) to ensure the provision of electricity to all communities in the three local government areas that make the Ndokwa nation, Ndokwa West Local Government Area with headquarters at Kwale, Ndokwa East Local Government Area with headquarters at Aboh and Ukwuani Local Government Area with headquarters at Obiaruku. In a communique following its recently concluded 2025 Biennial National Convention in Bloomington, Minnesota, the association lamented the present state of underdevelopment in Ndokwa nation characterized by a lack of basic social amenities such as electricity, a poor and underfunded school system, near-zero public health institutions, and endemic lack of clean portable water, youth unemployment, unpassable bad roads and general poverty plaguing Ndokwa communities. The convention focused on the recent peaceful protest of Ndokwa sons and daughters in Kwale demanding that the government “Light Up” Ndokwaland by making electricity available to Ndokwa communities and observed with shocked but not surprised by the hostile response by the government to the peaceful protest saying, “The Delta State Government and the Ndokwa Local Governments hostile response is the story of the long history of neglect and marginalization of Ndokwaland by successive Nigerian government even though Ndokwa nation contributes a significant portion Nigeria’s oil and gas wealth and about 450 megawatts of electricity to the national grid from the Okpai IPP.” The communique observed how ironic that the peace loving Ndokwa people, contributing to Nigeria’s oil production, power generation over the years is left to wallow in darkness while qualified persons were given no place of employment in the country’s thriving oil and gas sectors. According to Mr. Enefazu Otuya, the president of the association, “We continue to be good host communities to both local and multinational oil and gas facilities, but what do we get but environmental degradation, unemployment, poverty and disease”. Other delegates who signed the communique are Mr. Chibuzor Uwadione, immediate past national president, Mr. Jude Ulogo, national vice president, Professor Sunday Enubuzor, national secretary, Mr. Uche Ngbame, immediate past national secretary, Mrs. Eunice Pen-Ogbolu, national public relations officer (PRO). Others are Chief Sam Enudi, New York chapter president, Mrs. Cynthia Obiofuma, Houston chapter president, Mr. Daniel Opene, Atlanta Chapter president, Chukwudi Ndego, chapter president, Chief Dennis Isicheli, chapter president, Mr. Sunday Aremu, chapter president, Mr. Chuks Nwabuwe, chapter president, and Mr. Kenneth Chukwuma, chapter president. They also called state government to provide access to potable water to all Ndokwaland because clean water is a fundamental public health necessity, provide good and functioning public healthcare system in Ndokwaland.
