Kwara community protests exorbitant electricity charges, extortion

Some youths and women in Oko Road area of Omu-Aran in Kwara State, yesterday, staged a protest over alleged exorbitant electricity billings, extortion and poor customer relations by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

The meeting called to resolve the difference between the two parties ended abruptly on Wednesday, which forced the youth to embark on the peaceful protest.

The youths, who carried leaves and chanted war songs, said they resorted to the protest to press home their grievances as early as 9 a.m.

The protest, which started from IBEDC building at Oluseyi Area in the town, took the protesters to the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat and the office of the Area Commander, Omu-Aran police command.

An indigene of the town, who led the protest, Chief Bisi Owolabi, expressed the community's displeasure over the services as well as the attitude of some workers of the electricity company.

He said the bone of contention was the alleged exorbitant and outrageous bill received by the residents from the company as energy charges for the month of August.

Owolabi said that in spite of the community being involved in the servicing and renovation of IBEDC facility on several occasions as part of its communal efforts, the company had failed to reciprocate such gesture.

``The least charges on the said bills were N7, 200, representing an increase of more than 100 per cent. We took them (bills), to their office for necessary adjustment on Saturday. But to our surprise, they went ahead and removed our fuse and plunged the whole area into total darkness since Saturday.

``We regarded this action as a slap on our faces and we have resolved that henceforth, no consumer will pay above N2, 000 monthly like other residents in other neighbouring communities,” he said.

The President of Omu-Aran Youth Forum, Pastor Doyin Lawal, on his part, said that the youth would resist any act from the company that would further compound the worsening economy of the community.

The Vice-Chairman, Irepodun Local Government Area, Mrs. Comfort Ajiboye, who received the protesters on behalf of the chairman, Alhaji Luqman Owolewa, urged them to be law-abiding and peaceful in pressing their demand.

She asked the aggrieved party to forward a written document on their grievance to the council for appropriate action.

Also, the Area commander, Omu-Aran Police Command, Mr Ayodele Olatunji, pleaded with the protesters to exercise caution, saying that the command would intervene to ensure amicable settlement of the dispute.

Reacting to the allegations, the Business Manager, Omu-Aran IBEDC, Mr. Mikail Bello, said that the gradual increase in the unit of the energy consumption for the community necessitated the increase in the current charges.

He said the community energy usage had increased from 70 units to 350 units due to recent improvement in electricity transmission to most of the communities across the state.

``The only way out of this problem which I continue to emphasised is for them to have prepaid meters installed to avoid direct billing.

``This will give every individual maximum control on his or her electricity usage to avoid occasional quarreling over electricity charges,” he said.

#kwara