We are all conversant with the popular phrase ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ used to express the relief of an indication that a long period of difficulty is gradually coming to an end.
The light has finally shined over some Nigerians who have been in darkness for decades, as they are at the brim of receiving electric power.
Shocking as this may sound, a town in Nigeria, resident to more than 500,000 persons, has never had electric power from the national grid for over 10 years, with the community members either living in darkness or facing the pains of running generators to provide electricity.
The people of Toungo Local Government Area situated southern part of Adamawa State. Toungo is the only one out of twenty-one local governments in Adamawa state not connected to the national grid.
In 2015, there was a budgetary provision of about a billion naira for the electrification of the community. However, typical of a Nigerian situation, the government did nothing. The poor residents of this community have had to live without electricity. Knowing how electricity is an essential commodity and almost all businesses rely on electric power to survive, these individuals have suffered in darkness for over a decade with all hopes lost.
Luckily, Toungo people are at the end of their tunnel as the present governor, Umaru Fintiri, who was sworn into power in 2019, took the move to electrify the community.
Umaru Fintiri awarded the contract to Mac Jones Construction Nigeria Limited, who began the project in 2020 and recently concluded the project inaugurated yesterday. Putting smiles on the faces of Toungo people.
Indeed there’s always light at the end of every tunnel.