Ogun community protests five-year blackout

Traditional rulers, community leaders, religious heads, women, men
and youths of Ibafo community in the Obafemi Owode Local
Government Area of Ogun State have protested against the absence of
electricity in the community.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the residents had been living in darkness for
the past five years and efforts to get the Ibadan Electricity Distribution
Company to fix the problem had hit brick walls.
Economic activities, security and the social life of the more than one
million people, said to be living in the area, were said to have been
affected.
The residents said apart from the huge expenses on fuel to run
generators, development had been elusive as businesses had not been
established in the area.
The placard-carrying residents marched to the PUNCH Place at
Magboro, Ogun State, on Saturday, decrying their poor treatment by
the Ibadan Disco, and alleging that the company had been deceptive
and nonchalant about their situation.
Some of the placards read, “‘Ibafo needs electricity,’ ‘Ibafo has been in
total darkness for the past five years,’ ‘We need the help of the
government.’”
Ibafo is made up of four community development committees, namely
Ofada, Mowe, Ibafo and Magboro/Arepo.
The four CDCs reportedly have over 280 community development areas.
The Baale of Arepo, Chief Nurudeen Rasheed, explained that the Ibafo
area had not felt government’s impact for a long time.
He said, “We are suffering in Ibafo. For more than five years now, we
have been in darkness. We have not had any benefit from government.
“The roads are in a bad shape; no community school, no health centre
or even potable water. But of utmost concern is this electricity
problem which has crippled all activities.”
A press statement by the residents’ association stated that the
government, in a bid to solve the problem, disconnected the residents
from the Ibadan Disco and connected them to a power project in Oke
Aro, a neighbouring community.
However, the project was said to have been abandoned.
The statement read in part, “We had written several letters and held
series of meetings with the authorities at the district, state and federal
levels. In response, we were attached to a power station at Oke Aro.
“However, the construction project of a sub-station at the MFM area,
through which Ibafo was to be supplied, was suddenly halted by
unnecessary bureaucratic processes.
“Meanwhile, our main source of electricity supply was from Abeokuta,
under Sagamu/Ibadan Disco. Unfortunately, the source was
disconnected in expectation of the new project, leaving the entire
community in darkness while the project remains unattended to.”
The Chairman of the Ibafo CDC, Pastor Goke Ayeni, said more meetings
held with the authorities to address the challenge had been futile.
He said, “The Oke Aro project was supposed to be finished and
commissioned in November, 2014, but it failed. Because that project
failed, our substation at the MFM area was also abandoned.”
PUNCH Metro gathered that the community had spent more than N4m
without getting any result.
The Secretary of the Ibafo CDC, Mrs. Gbemi Ogunbawo, also appealed
for the creation of a U-turn to give residents easy access to the area.
She said, “Apart from the power problem, we usually have to travel a
long distance before we can turn to enter into our community.
“A pedestrian bridge will also not be out of place after the completion
of the ongoing reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.”
The head of the customer care unit of the Ibadan Disco, who identified
himself as Olaitan, refused to comment when contacted on the
telephone by our correspondent.
He said, “Come to our office in Ibadan and write a letter stating your
enquiries. I am sorry; I can’t say anything.”