◾Plaintiff demands completion of NCC transmission line as Mbaise communities lament prolonged darkness
)The Incorporated Trustees of Greater Mbaise Development have taken their demand for electricity to the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling the Federal Government and relevant power agencies to complete the abandoned NCC transmission power line project in Imo State.
The suit, which seeks to compel the defendants to fulfil their obligations regarding the project that reportedly commenced in 2009, has been adjourned until November 4, 2026, for hearing.
The plaintiff is seeking an order of mandamus directing the Attorney General of the Federation, the Minister of Power, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to take the necessary steps to ensure the project’s completion.
At its previous sitting, the court granted the plaintiff leave to file a motion seeking the order of mandamus. During Tuesday’s proceedings, the parties regularised their court processes, although TCN was not represented.
After hearing the parties, the presiding judge adjourned the matter for hearing and directed that all parties be duly served with the relevant processes before the next sitting.
Speaking on the suit, counsel to the plaintiff, Malachy Nwaekpe, said the power project had remained abandoned despite repeated efforts to engage the relevant authorities on the need to complete it.
Nwaekpe questioned why the project should remain uncompleted despite the Federal Government’s stated commitment to improving electricity supply across the country.
He expressed concern that the Attorney General of the Federation and NERC were opposing or challenging a suit whose primary objective, according to him, was to compel the government to complete an abandoned electricity project for the benefit of the people.
“We are not asking for anything against the government. We are only asking that the abandoned project be completed because we are being treated unfairly,” the lawyer said.
He further described Mbaise as one of the most densely populated areas in West Africa, lamenting that its residents continued to suffer inadequate electricity supply while other communities benefited from improved power infrastructure.
An interested party, Steve Ihuoma, also called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene by directing the relevant agencies to address the prolonged delay in completing the project.
Ihuoma expressed disappointment that government institutions expected to drive the country’s power development were, in his view, frustrating efforts to secure the completion of a project awarded several years ago.
He described the continued darkness in Mbaise and neighbouring communities as unacceptable, urging the President to call the relevant authorities to order and ensure that the project receives the attention it deserves.
Another interested party, Onyekwu Malachy, questioned claims concerning the level of work completed on the project, alleging a significant discrepancy between reported progress and what residents could see on the ground.
According to him, the company handling the project had claimed that about 70 per cent of the work was completed, but he argued that the physical evidence available to the community did not reflect such progress.
“We are appealing to the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Power to intervene so that our people can benefit from what is due to them,” he said.
The legal action has renewed attention on the longstanding electricity challenges facing Mbaise and surrounding communities, with residents looking to the court to compel the relevant authorities to address the project’s prolonged abandonment.
As the case comes up for hearing on November 4, 2026, the central issue before the court is whether the reliefs sought by the plaintiff should be granted to compel the relevant government authorities to act on the abandoned project.
For the people of Greater Mbaise, the case represents an effort to secure accountability and bring an end to years of waiting for a power project they believe is essential to the area’s economic and social development.
