Protest Erupts in Kwale as Ndokwa Youths Demand Electricity

Hundreds of youths from the Ndokwa nation staged a protest on Monday in Kwale, headquarters of Ndokwa West Local Government Area, demanding that the Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Okpai be stepped down to supply electricity to their communities.

The protesters barricaded the Ughelli-Asaba expressway, lamenting years of power outages in Kwale and surrounding Ndokwa communities. They chanted slogans and carried placards with messages such as “Light Up Ndokwa Nation” and “Electricity in Ndokwa Land; Enough is Enough: NEPA No, IPP Yes,” disrupting traffic for several hours.

Despite police using tear gas to disperse the crowd around 9 a.m., the youths regrouped and continued the demonstration. One protester, Mr. Enubuzor, recounted the irony of hosting an IPP supplying electricity to over nine states while their communities remain in darkness for more than a decade. He called on leaders to provide electricity to Ndokwa and end the hardship of using generators powered with costly fuel.

The Ndokwa Neku Union, the apex socio-cultural organization of the Ndokwa nation, expressed support for the protesters but questioned the timing. The union announced the formation of a committee to facilitate dialogue and accelerate the IPP’s step-down to the communities.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer Bright Edafe defended the use of tear gas, citing the violent nature of the protest, including road blockades and tire burning.

Last week, the Chairman of Ukwuani Local Government, Mr. Possible Ajede, announced plans to reconnect Ndokwa communities to the national grid, revealing that over 80% of the required materials have been released to contractors with a two-week completion deadline. Ajede, alongside the chairmen of Ndokwa West and East LGAs, lauded Governor Oborevwori for his swift response to the electricity crisis.