For students at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in Uli, Anambra State, life after sunset is a daily struggle. Years of living without power on campus have left many frustrated and afraid, with students now calling on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to honour his promise to restore electricity to the institution.
Their plea comes weeks after the governor visited the university and assured the student body that power would soon be restored. But since that visit, not much has changed.
“Whenever there is nightfall our happiness turns to sadness because there is no electricity supply to the University. Fear of unknown normally grips us,” said a student who identified himself simply as Joseph.
He continued, “Governor Chukwuma Soludo visited us about a month ago and pledged to give us light but since then till now nothing has happened. I believe if he wants to give us light it is just a little amount for the state to spend and it won’t take up to a month to fix the project.”
Like many others, Joseph believes the lack of electricity not only affects learning but also endangers students’ lives. For students in power-dependent courses such as Computer Science, the situation is even more critical.
Another student, a female who asked to remain anonymous, said she relies on a kerosene lantern to study but struggles with the rising cost of fuel.
“I have my lantern because there is no hope of supplying power to our school. If it is possible let the students contribute and procure solar light since the state government turns to the other side when it comes to power supply for our school.”
She added, “Only God knows what we go through in the night. Sometimes unknown gunmen will take over a particular place because there is no light. If it is possible, let the governor supply solar energy because from the look of things our institution is not in his agenda.”
The power outage has raised concerns among advocates too. Comrade Jude Achebe, an activist and National Chairman of HDRA, expressed his frustration at the state of affairs.
“How will a student cope after graduation when he is a computer science student? He will wait until the state government supplies power to the University and then the student will commence applying power to what he was taught without power,” he said.
“When there is darkness all manners of illegalities thrive but when there is light, it over shadows darkness. So let there be light for these children who come from families that make use of light,” Achebe added.
For many students, this isn’t just about electricity—it’s about safety, education, and keeping a promise that could change their everyday reality. They hope their voices reach the right ears—and that this time, action follows words.
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