By PETER ANOSIKE

Dissatisfied with the services of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), Prince Nixon Okwara, the Chairman of Ago Phase 2 United Forum, Okota Road Lagos, has made a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency withdraw the operating licence of the electricity distribution company.

Recall that in recent times Ikeja Electric has faced a barrage of criticisms from their customers over alleged epileptic power supply.

Speaking in a recent interview, Prince Okwara alleged that the electric distribution company has exhibited gross incompetence and dereliction following its inability to provide stable electricity in the Ago Phase 2 and the other communities around it.

However when contacted, the Ikeja Electric’s Head, Corporate Communications, Mr Felix Ofulue, said that he was not really aware of the real situation.

In this interview, he highlighted key issues why federal government should revoke the company’s operation licence and they include lack of capacity, corruption among other vices.

He claimed that before the coming of the company, the area had enjoyed regular electricity supply and prompt repair of faults against the current situation where the residents are left for weeks without power supply.

He said this Is a sign of lack of capacity on the part of the company.

His words: “There is absolute lack of capacity, both financially and technically within Ikeja Electric to effectively manage power supply in the areas assigned to them, especially the Oshodi-Isolo Business Unit. This company appears either overwhelmed by the task or simply incapable of covering the entire area .The result Is therefore, frequent power outages and failures to meet the basic electricity needs of the community.”

On the issue of corruption, he alleged that corruption is deeply rooted in the company, adding that they exploit the lack of meters to extort consumers by issuing estimated bills.

According to him, in some cases, they even installed meters and still revert to estimated billing, particularly in the areas where the presence of meters might expose their fraudulent practices.

Speaking further, he said that consumers often find themselves paying exorbitant bills for services never rendered.

He said that despite numerous complaints to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and other bodies, the power supply has not improved.

“The power supply in areas like Ago Phase 2 is abysmal. Despite being categorized under Band B, which should ensure a reasonable supply or 16 hours power supply per day as we were told, residents often experiences 2 hours of electricity in a whole week. Ikeja Electric strategy seems to be providing minimal power towards the end of the month to avoid disconnection, therefore coercing the people into paying exorbitant bills. They have promised to fix certain breakers for over five years but have failed to do so, as the current system of extortion is highly profitable for them,” he said.

According to him, the Ago Phase 2 residents and other communities in the area have suffered untold hardship due to the perennial power outages, adding that they have been petitioning for over five years without any resolution.

“We have reported our grievances to the Lagos State House of Assembly, NERC, and other regulatory bodies, but there has been no significant change. The infrastructure in these areas is largely self-funded by the residents who are also pressured to finance repairs. The communities are often told that they can either wait indefinitely or pay officials to fix faults, sometimes running into millions.

On the way out of the malady, Prince Okwara urged the federal government to withhold any grant to Ikeja Electric until a thorough audit of the firm is conducted.

According to him, if that is not done such funding would only feed the corrupt practices without translating to tangible improvements in power supply.

He said that If government really want to resolve the power issues, Ikeja Electric should either be audited or replaced with a competent power company or alternatively remove Oshodi-Isolo Business Unit from Ikeja Electric and assigned it to a capable power distribution company.

“The current situation with Ikeja Electric is unsustainable and detrimental to the communities they serve. It is crucial that the federal government takes decisive action to ensure reliable power supply and end the extortion and corruption that have plagued this utility provider. Only then can we hope to achieve the level of service and reliability that the people of Oshodi-Isolo and others affected areas deserve,” Okwara said.

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