By AFUSAT AGUNBIADE-OLADIPO

Residents of Sobi Poly Feeder at Oke-Fomo in Ilorin West Local Government Area (LGA), which comprise 44 communities, on Tuesday staged a protest over power outage in their area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the communities, during the peaceful protest, said they have been experiencing total blackout since February 2024.

They said the last time they enjoyed power supplied by Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) was around January 2024.

The protesters who carried placards with various inscriptions insisted that the company must find lasting solution and restore power to the Kwara Poly feeder which serves the communities.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read ?We are tired of blackout?, ?the darkness is killing us, provide reliable electricity?, ?No light No life? and ?Power to the people not just a promise?.

The Oke-Fomo Community Leader, Engr. Abdulkareem Jimoh, said what was being experienced was lamentable.

?The continued sufferings of residents in these affected communities, when other communities in the state are enjoying power supply, is lamentable,? he said.

Jimoh said the total blackout has crippled the communities? economic activities and they could not continue to buy fuel to power their electricity generating sets because of the economic downturn.

He said the communities were using the 100MVA transformer before it got spoilt and IBEDC brought a 45MVA transformer.

Jimoh then urged IBEDC to either repair or install a new 100MVA which can serve all the communities.

?Our wives and children are suffering and tired of fetching water around the communities from the well.

?The artisans among us have not been able to meet up with their responsibilities,? he said.

The community leader said the communities did not want a separate band on Sobi Poly Feeder and only wanted prepaid meters for all the residents of the communities.

?We want IBEDC and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to replace the outdated breaker circuit with the new one,? he added.

Speaking also, the Representative of Alawo Community, Comrade Ismail Alada, said the blackout being experienced had endangered the lives of some people in the area.

He added that the situation has unfortunately enhanced security activities such as the stealing of vehicles, motorcycles and burgling of houses.

?Since the blackout started, some members had been kidnapped at Alawo Community.?

Alada consequently called on the Kwara government to help the communities with new transformers in order to end the total blackout in the area.

Chairman of the Joint Sobi Poly Feeder Communities, Abdulrasheed Ishaq, called on Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to intervene because the situation was getting out on hand.

He said the situation had increased poverty in the area as some business owners could not cater for their families.

Ishaq stated that it was noteworthy that no amount of solar power they put into use could be compared with electricity.

?So, we call on government to call IBEDC to order so that our peaceful protest will not turn to something else, he added.

Ishaq listed the affected communities to include Ajibesin, Alawo, Olayeri, Agbojulogun, Anu-Oluwapo, Idi-isin, Orisunbare Okolowo, Owode-keke, Iyemoja, Algeria, Ifesowapo, Olohun, Oke-Fomo, Apalara, Gaa-Saka, Madi, Ayden, Surulere and Lambo. (NAN)

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