Three
innocent children have been orphaned following their mother’s
electrocution by a n*ked wire in Ebonyi State community, two years after
their dad’s death.
A 40-year-old woman, Mrs Joy Oluchi Osuchukwu, was electrocuted to
death by the n*ked streetlight cables allegedly abandoned carelessly by
some officials of Ebonyi State’s Ministry of Power. The tragedy struck
in front of Udoka Hall, Water Works Road in Abakaliki.
According
to eyewitnesses, the late Oluchi was returning home from the
neighbourhood where she had gone to fetch water for domestic use, and
unknowingly stepped on the naked cables.
Some shop owners who were at the venue of the incidence told Saturday
Sun allegedly that the officials of the state’s Ministry of Power had
worked on that particular streetlight cable earlier in the day and
abandoned the naked cables.
They
alleged that they had pleaded with them to cover it before leaving but
they gave them flimsy excuse that they would come back later and left.
“That same day, at about 8:30pm this woman passed through that area
not knowing that there were naked cables there and she was electrocuted
instantly”, narrated one of them.
Speaking to Saturday Sun, Chairman of Umunze Town Union, Ebonyi State
chapter, Uchenna Joseph Obi, narrated that her kinswoman, Oluchi, had
returned from the church before the tragedy struck. This was even as he
blamed the officials of the state’s Ministry of Power for being
responsible for her untimely death.
The deceased after getting electrocuted
“The residents of that area told us that officials of the Ministry of
Power in charge of the streetlights came in the afternoon that same day
and worked on their streetlights. They abandoned those naked wires and
left.
“If
you go there now, you will still see those naked wires there. They just
left them on the footpath where people pass often. We are very angry.
This is carelessness on the path of the government officials.
“We have contacted the state governor, Chief David Umahi. We sent him
a text message. We first contacted his deputy, Dr Kelechi Igwe and
afterwards, contacted the governor himself”, he narrated.
At the moment, the incident is still concealed from the children but
sister to Oluchi’s late husband, Miss Okoro Chidimman Godgift, while
corroborating others insisted that the government officers should be
held responsible for the fate of Oluchi.