’Yinka ADETUNJI
The festering issue of erratic power supply that is not commensurate with bills generated for customers in Ogbomoso that has erupted in crisis between Ogbomoso youths under the auspices of Ogbomoso Community Youth Forum (OCYF) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has taken a new dimension with an eight-point demand made on the electricity company.
This was presented yesterday during a meeting held at Ogunlola Hall, Oja’gbo, Ogbomoso, attended by the embattled officials of the IBEDC, security operatives including Operation Burst and regular policemen, Civil Defence men led by their Area Commander, DSS operatives, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and Western Nigerian Security Network, WNSN (Operation Amotekun) personnel.
The Area Commander, the Nigerian Police Force Owode Area Command Office, major electricity stakeholders including community leaders and major electricity consumers like saw-millers, welders etc as well as chairman of Ogbomoso North local government, Hon. Kabir Akanji were also on ground.
At the end of the meeting in which various the misdemeanours of IBEDC were highlighted, with no defence whatsoever from its officials, the OCYF issued eight demands as the basis for IBEDC continued operation in Ogbomoso.
These demands include suspension of bills’ distribution to customers for three months; thereafter, a bill not exceeding N1, 000 should be given to customers on a monthly basis; assumption of responsibility for maintenance of electricity facilities and repairs of faults; and adherence to stable electricity supply for at least 20 hours a day.
Other demands are for IBEDC to tender public apology to the people of Ogbomoso over past atrocious services; supply of prepaid meters to all those who had paid and subsequent free distribution to other customers; stoppage of harassment of customers by IBEDC workers and regular meeting with stakeholders in the community.
The meeting devoid of untoward happenings resulted in the constitution of a forum composed of heads of various communities and critical electricity consumers’ associations and representatives of security agencies to monitor compliance and to continue the struggle.
“We don’t want a situation where the IBEDC will renege and continue after things have cooled with their nefarious activities,” Rev’d. Peter Olaleye, chairman of OCYF told ogbomosoinsightonline.com later, adding, “many unscrupulous elements in the organization have taken us for a ride for long and as the Yoruba say, ijo ti oju ba ri ibi ni ibi wole (evil must end the day it is discovered). Ogbomoso will not tolerate such audacious rape of morality in her land again, enough is enough, this is just the beginning. ”
Meanwhile, IBEDC has announced the release of 15 prepaid meters out of the hundreds that were paid for years ago. Among those whose meter were released was the late Oba Samuel Adegboyega Osunbade Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, who died in 2016.
