Lekeh Development Foundation Electrifies Rivers Community with Solar Power
The Lekeh Development Foundation has launched solar powered electricity for Kaani community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, as part of its Power-Up Ogoni Campaign for climate solution.
The Power-Up Ogoni campaign by Lekeh Development Foundation in collaboration with 350.Org launched in Kaani, saw to the powering up of the community right from Kaani market into the community with solar panels and streetlights.
Speaking, the Executive Director of Lekeh Development Foundation, Mr. Friday Nbani, said the campaign was imperative in order to light up oil bearing communities marginalized by oil and gas companies.
Nbani urged the government to task oil and gas companies to invest in renewable energy, adding that he was excited to be of those demanding for climate justice and climate action, as he would be attending COP28 to demand for loss and damage for Ogoni communities.
He said, “We are powering up the communities with an electricity that is sustainable and renewable. The Power-Up Campaign is important, ever since Shell has been operating in Ogoni, there as been no electricity, portable water, health centres. So we decided to launch the project for a marginalized Ogoni community like Kaani.
“The profit made from fossil fuel extraction is criminal because the environment and livelihoods are being destroyed. Anything that destroys the environment directly destroys human lives.
“Renewable energy is environmentally friendly and sustainable. So we are demanding that the government should tax fossil fuel industry to funs renewable energy and make the tax so high so that the fossil fuel industry will go out of business and directly begin to invest in renewables.”
Also, Program Officer at Lekeh Development Foundation, Mrs. Melody Barry-Yobo, said the solar powered electricity will enable the market to operate even late into the night.
“We want a stop to darkness. It is important for the government to tax fossil fuel industry to fund renewable energy. IOCs are making money from crude oil while our environment are being polluted and damaged.”
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For his part, the Chairman of Kaani Market, Mr Monday Sam, applauded Lekeh Development Foundation for bringing power supply to the community.
“We thank our son, Friday Nbani, for being able to live up to his promise. He told us in September that he was going to light up the community, and today God has made him to bring us the solar power light right from the market into the community. This is the first in the history of this community, having stayed in darkness for years.”
