Babatunji Wusu –
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has been given a seven-day ultimatum by several Ibadan communities to restore their power supply or face large-scale protests outside its office.
The villages are those in and surrounding Oluyole Estate Extension, one of the affluent neighborhoods of Ibadan, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to NAN, Ajinde Feeder of IBEDC provides food to the following communities: Progressive Estate, Heritage Estate, Oorelope community, Ore-Ofe Estate, and Ire-Akari community.
The villages, under the Joint Community Development Association (CDA), voiced their displeasure with the epileptic power supply they had been experiencing lately in a letter dated January 16 that NAN was able to get on Wednesday.
Several community chairmen and secretaries signed the document, including Pastor Kayode Akinbule and Ademola Adedeji (Progressive); Gbenga Ibikunle and Raphael Olaboade (Oorelope); and Layi Oliyide and Innocent Owokotomo (Heritage).
The others were Rev. Sina Alausa (Ire-Akari), Dolapo Adewumi, Elder Odunmorayo, and Segun Odewumi (Ore-Ofe).
The residents expressed displeasure with the epileptic power supply by IBEDC to the entire communities, particularly in the last seven weeks, saying that this had become unbearable to them.
“We are aware that our immediate neighbouring communities like Oluyole Estate and Elebu are better fed with power supply, while we are left with an average supply of less than two hours in the nights and most times, with no power supply during the days.
“We are peace-loving people, blessed with lots of intellectuals and will not want to engage in any activity that will further put your organisation in additional challenges,” the communities stated.
They, therefore, demanded that solutions be provided by IBEDC to address the problem within the next seven days of the receipt of the letter.
“Otherwise, your organisation might need to be prepared to play host to the entire communities that are being treated with this high level of unfairness,” they added.
According to them, the affected communities are not limited to the signatories but inclusive of communities, such as Ajinde 1, Peluseriki, Academy, Idi-Isin, Maberi, Zionist, Ajinde II and Tiadara, all of whose interests were also being represented.
When contacted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Public Relations Officer of IBEDC, Ms Busolami Tunwase, attributed the situation to the challenge of allocation, saying it was not peculiar to the communities.
She, however, expressed the company’s willingness and readiness to meet with the aggrieved communities to resolve the matter.
“We are willing to meet with them on Friday at 2 pm in our office at Molete. Please confirm their willingness and availability,” Tunwase noted.
