A University ‘Don’, Professor Adeolu Akande has called on the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, (IBEDC), to quickly resolve the crisis that has put the people of Oyo and Oke Ogun zones of Oyo state in darkness for the past two weeks.
The former Chief of Staff to Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi also advised community leaders and youths in the affected areas to work with IBEDC to find a lasting solution to the problem, adding that the electricity distribution company cannot solve the problems unless it receives the cooperation and support of the leaders, youths and residents of the areas.
He made the plea at the weekend in the wake of uneasy calm in parts of the state over continued darkness in the affected areas.
According to Mega Icon Magazine checks, most parts of the four local governments in Oyo and the 10 local government areas in the Oke Ogun part of Oyo State have been without electricity in the last two weeks.
Our further investigation revealed that the crisis began when youths in the area protested against permanent lack of electricity supplies in the preceding months leading to confrontation with officials of IBEDC.
The resulting darkness has led to further protests by youths and communities in the affected areas.
Akande appealed to the management of the IBEDC to as a matter of urgency address the lingering imbroglio so as to return the communities to normal life.
In his words : “electricity has become so central to our lives that no community should be denied this facility. Staying without electricity disrupts normal life, frustrate economic activities and destroys the business projections of investors in the communities”.
He, then called on the management of IBEDC to critically look into the issues of disrupted supplies of electricity in the communities which triggered the problem at hand, while advising them to fast-track the provision of Pre-paid meters which is creating unease among the customers of the electricity distribution company.
“The provision of Pre-paid metres will put to rest the frequent clashes between IBEDC and its customers on the use of bill estimates which the customers always dispute. The IBEDC will ease its own operations and ensure transparency in the charges for its services by supplying Pre-paid Metres to the customers”, Akande counselled.
Similarly, the ‘Don’ urged IBEDC to employ vibrant stakeholders engagement to address disputes with its customers before little problems snowball into big crisis. “Such engagement with stakeholders will pre-empt crisis as problems could be amicably resolved as they emerge.
