Residents of Komu, Babaode and Igbojaye communities in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State have appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to urgently restore electricity after six years of blackout.

The residents said the prolonged power outage had crippled economic activities, forced businesses to shut down or relocate, disrupted students’ studies and heightened security concerns in the agrarian communities in Oke-Ogun.

Speaking with journalists, a community leader in Babaode, Mr. Theophilus Oguntona, said the community had been without electricity for six years following damage to electricity poles linking it to the power supply network.

He explained that some electricity wires had been severed after dry trees were pulled down by wind, leaving the community disconnected from the national grid.

Oguntona said residents had made several efforts to clear bushes around the electricity poles to provide easy access for officials of the distribution company, but their efforts had not yielded results.

“Efforts by residents who cleared the bushes around the electric poles for easy access to officials of the Electricity Distribution Company have not yielded fruitful results, as residents have been abandoned to their fate,” he lamented.

He said the prolonged blackout had taken a heavy toll on the local economy, particularly artisans and small business owners whose livelihoods depended on electricity.

According to him, welders, barbers, tailors and cold-room operators have either closed their businesses or relocated to neighbouring communities where electricity is available.

Oguntona added that students had also been denied the opportunity to study at night, thereby compounding the educational challenges facing residents.

Residents of Komu also expressed concern over the situation, saying the absence of electricity had worsened security challenges in the community.

They said many residents now returned to their homes as early as 7 p.m. because of insecurity and the lack of street lighting.

“Residents stay indoors as from 7 p.m. due to the security situation in the country. We are appealing to the government and relevant agencies to come to our aid,” they said.

The residents appealed to the state government and IBEDC to ensure that electricity was restored to the affected communities before the end of the year.

“We will be glad if we can have electricity restored latest by December this year,” they pleaded.

They said restoring electricity would revive economic activities, support small businesses and enable students to study at night, while also improving security and easing the hardship residents had endured for six years.

The communities urged Makinde, Tegbe and IBEDC to treat the matter as urgent, stressing that access to electricity remained essential to economic development, education and the wellbeing of residents. (Guardian)