The traditional ruler of Okpella Kingdom in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, King Michael Sado, has abolished the payment of electricity bills in the community.

The directive by the traditional ruler will come into effect today (July 1), thus eliminating individual payment of electricity bills in the cement town.

The Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, who announced the development during the activities marking his first-year coronation anniversary, described the initiative as a step towards improving the welfare of the people and driving sustainable development across the kingdom.

The traditional ruler said the free electricity initiative will guarantee uninterrupted power supply to homes, business premises, schools and healthcare facilities, while relieving residents of the community of financial burden associated with electricity payments.

He said the programme is part of his administration’s development agenda aimed at expanding infrastructure, improving education, empowering youths and stimulating economic growth in the kingdom.

King Sado noted that the power initiative complemented other interventions already introduced under his reign, including scholarship awards, educational support programmes and the establishment of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre, designed to equip young people with digital skills.

An elated resident of the community, Suleiman Dekiri, described the announcement as a bold and far-reaching initiative that could boost economic activities, attract investments and enhance the standard of living of the people.

“As implementation begins, this initiative has the potential to transform the socio-economic landscape of Okpella,” Dekiri said.

However, details of the implementation framework, funding mechanism and operational structure of the electricity scheme were yet to be made public as of the time of filing this report.

Nevertheless, the announcement generated excitement among residents, who are awaiting the commencement of the initiative. (Text, excluding headline: Nigerian Tribune)

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