By Silvernews
Abuja, May 21, 2025 — Prominent legal practitioner and native of Mbaise, Chief Malachy C. Nwaekpe, has issued a strong appeal to the Federal Ministry of Power, demanding immediate action on the long-abandoned Aboh Mbaise transmission line and substation projects in Imo State.
In a formal letter dated May 16, 2025, Chief Nwaekpe, writing through his law firm, M.C. Chambers, urged the Honorable Minister of Power to complete the 2 x 60MVA, 132/33KV transmission station projects located at Ibeku in Aboh Mbaise, which were reportedly abandoned since their commencement in 2009.
According to the letter, the projects—initially handled by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)—were meant to address the power needs of Mbaise District but were left incomplete, plunging the region into over a decade of darkness.
Chief Nwaekpe highlighted that Mbaise, known as West Africa’s most densely populated area with over one million residents, has suffered immense setbacks due to the absence of electricity infrastructure. He lamented that “very creative youths constituting about 60 percent of the population” continue to suffer due to government negligence.
The legal petition emphasized that a public hearing on the matter had already been conducted by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions. During the hearings, TCN admitted that materials—including 13 transmission towers—had been delivered, yet no meaningful progress had been made on site due to alleged weather concerns.
Supporting documents referenced in the petition, marked as Annexures A through D, include the House petition, NERC’s investigation report, site photographs of the abandoned project, and details of the contractors involved.
Chief Nwaekpe issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Ministry of Power and TCN, warning that failure to act would lead to legal proceedings. “This letter serves as a pre-action notice,” he wrote, adding that a mandamus order would be sought to compel completion of the project.
The letter was also copied to the MD/CEO of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and stamped “Received” by the relevant offices.
As the community awaits action, the people of Mbaise remain in dire need of a resolution, hoping for an end to the prolonged blackout that has stifled development and productivity in the region.
