Kwara Communities, IBEDC at Daggers Drawn over Power Outages
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and 30 communities in Ilorin metropolis in Kwara State are now at each other throats over continued power outages, which the affected communities have been subjected to .
The communities under the auspices of the Joint Communities Development Association, had declared “NO LIGHT, NO PAYMENT, NO DISTRIBUTION OF BILL” rule against IBEDC since October, 2015.
The affected communities are: Adeta, Bani, Oloje, Ita- Merin, Anifowoshe, Olomoda, Tegbesun, Agbarigidomo, Abayawo, Ogidi, Temidere, Gaa- Osibi and Daada.
Others are: Foma, Baba Alaje, Sakale, Alfa Yahaya, Aromaradu, Alore, Ajetunmobi, Alubarika, Oke- Ebo, Gaa Oke- Idiemi, Irewumi, Odo- Ire, Ajegunle, Ayekale, Madina, Owode and Amusa Agbarigidomo.
The spokesperson for the 30 affected communities, Salman Yusuf, vowed that they will not rescind their decision until the management of IBEDC accede to their request.
He accused the management of IBEDC of using divide and rule tactic to polarise the association by supplying some of the affected communities up to eight hours electricity in a day while other areas were subjected to complete black out.
He said the supply to Oloje feeder, which is serving the affected communities, was not evenly rationed among them.
The community said the matter was reported to the Consumer’ Protection Agency and the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU),after several meetings with the authority of IBEDC failed to yield any positive results.
The community vowed to mobilise against any attempt to distribute bills for electricity not supplied to them until IBEDC do the right thing.
An official of the electricity company, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with the press denied the allegations.
He said the company only rationed what it got among the communities, adding the refusal of the communities to pay for electricity bills was wrong.
