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Ilasamaja residents cry out over IKEDC load shedding, billing

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By Pascal Oparada

Residents of Ilasamaja have called on the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Minister of Power, the Lagos State government as well as other electricity regulatory bodies to as a matter of urgency to prevail on Ikeja Electric to commence installation of prepaid meters in their community.

According to Engineer Bayo Asunmo and Alhaji Ramoni Semiu, who are members of the Community Development Association, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) has turned the community into a conduit pipe where money is raked in to the purse of the company without justification.

The two community leaders claimed that they were surprised that demanding for their rights as a community has become a crime. According to them, they had visited the Alausa’s office of the body to submit the community resolutions on installation of prepaid meters to the Chief Executive Office (CEO) of the company before January 31, 2018.

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“We even held a meeting with one Sola Ayeni from the Public Affairs Unit, who assured us that something urgent would be done. To our surprise, the undertaking commenced a load shedding, removing four transformers on daily basis without any recourse to our letter”, Asunmo said.

Asunmo, who is also an engineer, said, ‘‘load shedding in this age, when other electricity distribution companies have moved on.

“IKDC knows what to do; they have been on Temitope feeder as a way out for years and we expected them to have completed that arrangement.”

Ramoni, however, called on the company to immediately reverse the load shedding arrangement and install prepaid meters in all houses within the community without delay.

Adetire Adebowale, a resident of the area, demanded for prepaid meters because on daily basis, they never had supply that exceeded four hours; and most of their meters are coded; so they bill them whatever they like.

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“Rather than accede to our demand, load shedding is what Isolo Undertaking commenced. Surprisingly, they claim the load shedding would ensure 18-hour regular supply. But daily supply has not exceeded six to seven hours”, Adetire said.

Yinka Adewole, another resident said that the community is law-abiding, and has not said it won’t pay, but want a billing system that is commensurate with supply; and that can only be achieved through installation of prepaid meters.

“We therefore call on government regulatory bodies to urgently intervene and prevail on the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ikeja Electric to commence installation of prepaid meters without delay,” Adewole added.

Ahmed Adeola, accused the Undertaking of insincerity in its load shedding. He said: ‘‘They use their load shedding to manipulate people of the communities. A good example is the filling station within the area. The day their transformer was supposed to go off, they removed all others’ fuse, except the one that belongs to the filling station.

When contacted, Fadeke Omo-Omorodion, the PRO of Oshodi Business Unit, said Ibalex Feeder where Ilasamaja is fed from is overloaded and the only way out is to load shed.

The community therefore called on necessary government bodies to intervene.

 

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