Residents of Ireakari community of Ilishan Remo, on Saturday, took to the street to protest over the refusal of the officials of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), to connect a new transformer donated by Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu to the national gird after spending over N11 million for its installation.

They appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun, to intervene on their behalf in ensuring that the needful is done in their interest.

Ireakari community is tired of pitch darkness’, ‘IBEDC connect light to our transformer’, ‘Governor Dapo Abiodun call IBEDC to order’, IBEDC, give us light not crazy bill’, are some of the messages written on placards carried by the protesters.

Speaking with newsmen, chairman of the community, Taiwo Idowu, explained that the community had been experiencing erratic power supply over the years, before Adebutu, donated the transformer to them in 2018.

He added that the total darkness had hampered businesses activaties, and also gave room for armed robbers to operate freely within the community.

“In the process of solving the poor power supply to the community, Hon Oladipupo Adebutu donated the transformer to the community in 2018.

“We invited the officials of IBEDC, they checked the transformer and certified that it is good for use so we began to raise money among ourselves for the installation.

“We bought poles, cables and every other thing needed for the installation of the transformer. We have so far spent over N11m and when the installation was completed in June, we called on IBEDC to help with the connection of the transformer to the grid.

“We were however shocked when they said that the transformer was a refurbished one, we really could not understand because the IBEDC officials gave us the go ahead with the installation after conducting checks on the transformer and certifying that it is good

“How could they now turn around to say that the transformer was a refurbished one and therefore they won’t connect us to the grid? We have written several letters to them in Sagamu and Ibadan but nothing has been done.

“Our community, for over eight years, has been struggling with this erratic power challenge and after using our hard-earned resources to solve this problem, the IBEDC is proving to be the stumbling block again. Our losses over the years due to lack of power is unquantifiable.

“We are using this opportunity to beg Gov Dapo Abiodun and the Chairman of the Ikenne Local Government, Hon. Jamiu Ashimi to come to our aid. This suffering is too much. The government can provide us with another transformer or help us talk to IBEDC; we are really pleading for all the help to get out of this trouble”.

Chief Adeyemo Sofola, the head of the community said the long absence of power supply to the community had greatly affected the residents as well as the socio-economic development of the area.

He appealed to Governor Abiodun and the chairman of the local government, Alhaji Ashimi to either give the community another transformer or prevail on IBEDC to help with the connection of their transformer to the grid.

Mrs. Janet Oluwatoyin, who spoke with journalists during the protest also decried the attitude of the IBEDC officials for refusing to help with the connection of the community’s transformer to the grid urging Gov Abiodun’s intervention without further delay.

Mrs Oluwatoyin said that “The truth is that the residents of this community who are over 3000 are not happy with this situation. The suffering is too much.

The Chairman of Ilisan Development Association, Otunba Wemmy Osude, expressed dissatisfaction on how IBEDC had mishandled the perennial power outage in the community.

The Public Relations Officer of IBEDC, Ogun Region, Mr Yomi Bada, however, said that contrary to the claims of the community, the IBEDC was never contacted when the transformer was donated until after the contractor had done the installation and was about to energise it.

On the way forward, Mr Bada said he would get in touch with the regional head of the power distribution company to see how the community could be assisted. (Nigerian Tribune)