Despite Owing Bills, Mbengwi still Favoured with Light and Water

Despite Owing Bills,  Mbengwi still Favoured with Light and Water

The population of Mbengwi has been jubilating following the recent replacement of two bad transformers that kept part of the municipality for close to two months in darkness. 

In the month of September 2019, the three phase transformer at Checkpoint supplying light to Mile 18 and beyond got faulty. One phase stopped working and so users connected on the line became affected. They soon contacted the workers of the electricity utility company, Eneo in Mbengwi and after money changed hands, they were disconnected from the broken line and added to the two phases that were still supplying. Sooner, due to overloading, the transformer blew up. 

Momo Administration and Eneo Technicians
Photo Credit: Momo Prefecture 

As such, but for those who could afford  generators and solar energy, many businesses especially those that depended solely on electricity had to shutdown. Some who couldn't bear the challenges of staying without electricity had to relocate to other towns out of Mbengwi. Even the lone community radio station in the municipality, Rainbow Radio that animated the municipality with information, education and entertainment went off air due to the power problem. 

Mile 18 is the economic hub of the sub division having the biggest concentration of businesses like cold stores,  barbing saloons,  welding workshops, grinding and saw mills, financial houses and others. It's in Mile 18 that we find the Mbon motor park and the Mbon main market.

Transformer at Checkpoint being Replaced 

While Mile 18 was in this mess,  it's neighbour Mile 19 had light just like other quarters and villages in Mbengwi. Since it's aching to be in darkness while your neighbour is electrified, some inhabitants who could afford the amount charged by the electricians in Mbengwi gained connection to the Mile 19 line. Considering that what happens to cocoa also happens to coffee, being unable to bear the new heavy load given it, the working transformer also gave up. The heart of the municipality was now in darkness and life became harder.

With this situation,  many knew nothing will ever be done to remedy the predicament  especially as for over two years now users haven't been paying bills, not out of their making though but because of insecurity that made the company to suspend its technicians from going to the field to read metres and distribute bills. Even the eneo office in Mbengwi had long been closed and workers displaced.   All hope was lost as regards the the provision of a solution to the problem.

Fortunately, the population was taken aback last Thursday November 2nd 2019 as many couldn't believe their eyes when Eneo workers were seen mounting the pole at Checkpoint to replace the bad transformer. Despite the drizzling heavenly showers of blessings,  they continuously worked under. Heads went up as onlookers gathered in clusters at several points sharing their joy with what they were seeing. From Mile 18, the team later  moved to Mile 19 for a similar exercise. Thus the two bad transformers were replaced with brand new ones. 

Ordinary Working Day in Mbengwi

While executing their job,  the technicians were visited by a surprise delegation. The newly installed Senior Divisional Officer for Momo led his Etat Major to the field to meet the technicians and thank them for a job well done and probably supervise what they were doing. Ever since his official installation on Tuesday October 15th, this was the first time the Momo boss,  Fouda Etaba Bernoit Nicaise was seen in public. 

Hours after,  there was light. Joy was seen on every face. Many heaved a sigh of relief. Some went drinking to celebrate the good news. By nightfall,  loud music was heard from all the bars. Mbengwi was back to life. Wandum Ephraim is a carpenter who's business had been greatly affected by electricity failure. I met him smiling from ear to ear as he sand papered planks in his workshop using an electrical machine. Revealing the sweetness of his heart,  he said "In fact I'm very very happy because for this duration of time,  they've been so many stories that were being spread that because of the crisis,  light will never come again since we've not even been paying bills. Now that light's back,  it therefore means that many good things are still to come"

It is alleged that the maintenance works were carried out thanks to government intervention in seeing into it that her citizens have improved livelihood through access to basic needs. Where service providers get stuck,  government usually steps in to give a helping hand. The case of the entire NW region running on the Ntarikon thermal plant thanks to government subvention after the 90kv pilon transporting electricity to the region was destroyed some months back is still very fresh in mind. Therefore, the presence of the Momo divisional administration on the field to supervise the work was to confirm this allegation.

Villagers Mending a Broken Water Pipe and Fixing the Road

A couple of weeks ago, the municipality was also hit by a severe water crisis as the main supply pipeline to the Wumngang treatment centre got broken in Tonmukomo after a truck trampled on it.  The population was compelled to resort to other sources of water like wells, rainfall and streams. On Wednesday October 30th, villagers of Njindom, Mbemi, Guneku and Zang Tembeng came out en masse to carry out maintenance work on the road and broken pipe so that water supply could be reinstated in Mbengwi. They were assisted by technicians from the water utility company, Camwater.

These two seemingly humanitarian events go a long way to portray how citizen's well-being remains the top priority of the state. On the other hand it is the people's basic human rights to have access to social amenities. It is now hoped that those who had relocated to other areas because of the lack of basic needs will now see reason to return home. These good happenings come barely few days to the official installation of the newly appointed Divisional Officer for Mbengwi,  Sakwe Jarvis Essapa. The ceremony is built for the 5th of November 2019 as from 11am on the Mbengwi ceremonial grandstand.