By Gabriel Olawale, LAGOS
Residents of Otito Lagba Community Development Association in Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area have staged a peaceful protest at the Igando Undertaking Office of Ikeja Electric in Lagos State.
The people of the community expressed their grievance over the total blackout in the area for almost a month while the electricity distribution company kept bringing bills and disconnecting wires.
Speaking while displaying placards with different inscriptions, the chairman of the association, Mr. Ajekiigbe Ajewale, said the community has been in total blackout for a month, and despite several reports to Ikeja Electric, they have refused to address the challenges.
He said: “A report was made immediately faults were observed at the G&P fuse to the Abibatu Oseni transformer, and to the community’s surprise, engineers from the Igando Undertaking office came to observe the fault, but nothing was done.”
Ajewale said aside from the faulty transformer, the community has been in perpetual fear over the tiny aluminum conductor used as a low-tension cable running from the same transformer to the Adegbenro junction, which is about 300 meters apart.
He said: “The community has been on this particular issue since July 2021. In most cases, at least every two to three weeks, there is a breaking of the aluminium conductor, which poses a danger to the community.
“The Ariya transformer has its own issue as well. The low-tension aluminum conductor from the transformer across to the Funmilola Street junction needs to be replaced with a good aluminum conductor.”
Corroborating his views, the secretary of the association, Mr Ogunyoye Taiwo, said the community wants Ikeja Electric to help them facilitate the metering of their area so as to address the estimated billing, which puts the community at a disadvantage by making them pay for the electricity they do not use.
“If your company cannot provide the community with prepaid meters and mend the reported fault, please kindly disconnect the community at the Igando step down until you are able to provide us with what we need,” he said.
He said the community is ready to report the case to the National Electricity Regulatory Council if nothing is done urgently.
“Aside from that, we are also ready to take them to court for a final solution if we are not satisfied with the NERC’s decision on the matter,” he added.
Source: Vanguard
