No fewer than 50 persons sustained various degree of injury following Thursday’s heavy down pour that fell over 30 electricity poles at the site of the on-going rural electrification project in Umuochu village, Ndikelionwu Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The project which was awarded to one Nnamdi Okonkwo at the cost of N30 million through the Ministry of Public Utility was initiated by former Governor Peter Obi’s administration in 2014 and handed over to the incumbent Governor Willie Obiano.

According to an indigene of the town, Major Humphrey Oti rtd., the contractor abandoned the project since 2015 but, it took the intervention of himself and a member representing Orumba North in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Romanus Obi, to drag the contractor back to site.

He regretted that all the efforts he made to ensure his village gets electricity for the first time like other neighbouring villages has been completely wasted.

Oti, however, thanked God that no life was lost out of the huge number of people that were hurt when the poles fell in the area.

He said that only minor injuries were sustained while the injured are responding to medical treatment.

It was, however, gathered that the contractor was about to energize the Project before the ugly incident that destroyed 30 poles with the connecting wires took place.

When contacted, the contractor said that Major Oti informed him about the incident saying, “I am totally confused on what to do next because I have wasted a lot of money on the project.

He said he will visit the site to cost the damage and inform the state government.

Update news