It is true that Nigerians have suffered unprecedented frustrations in the hands of electricity providers because they are not always there when they are most needed by customers.
To compound the problems of the customers is the introduction of crazy or estimated bills that have become the order of the day rather than being an exception. Customers are outrageously billed for electricity they did not consume
This situation has generated angers and frustration to which both the power distribution companies and the Transmission companies have refused find an answer.
As painful as this could be it does not warrant the invasion of the infrastructure of the distribution companies or attack their staff. It also does call for aggrieved customers to take laws into their hands as some have done in Ilesha, Osun State.
This situation must be checked by the authorities concerned.
In the morning of 14th March 2019 a group of hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons like guns, machetes and other sharp objects from Bolorunduro and Olomilagbala communities under Isare Service center, swooped on the office infrastructure – robbed and attacked the staff with guns and cutlasses.
They shot sporadically into the air to create panic and chaos while their operation lasted. They forcefully gained entrance into the cash office, carted away money from our cash collections and took away mobile phones of some of our staff. The same group attacked the office at Oke-Omiru. The staff around scampered for safety, then the Business Hub Manager who tried to intervene was beaten severally before he was rescued to his office by a youth leader. The hoodlums further proceeded to our Isokun Service unit and wounded some of the company’ staff whilst some property in the various offices were destroyed and some amounts of money carted away.
Because of this unruly behaviour some communities that did not participate in the dastardly act are going to suffer for a long time to come.
Right now those communities affected by this destruction carried out on these facilities will suffer indefinite power outages as Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company IBEDC has said that it does not have the financial capacity to replace equipment vandalised by hoodlums in those areas.
According the John Donnachie, managing director of the company the current estimate of what was directly damaged by the hoodlums is put at over N250 million, adding that this figure could be higher if it is discovered that the transformers torched by the irate youths are also damaged.
He said it was wrong for the youths to have taken laws into their hands by attacking the facilities even if they have genuine complaints.
He said there is always room for dialogue and this should have been explored instead of attacking facilities that provide services to consumers.
“We do not know the cogent reasons behind these spates of orchestrated attacks, robberies and assaults on our staff and infrastructure. The previous night before the attack, there was a heavy downpour with storms across the whole of Osun state which resulted to some faults and invariably culminated in a total outage on the 33KV feeders feeding the whole Ijesha land”.
He said immediately the attack took place the IBEDC headquarters and Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) were alerted on the situation. “We then temporarily shut down supply to locations under Ilesha Business Hub and environs to prevent further damage to lives and infrastructure. This is a standard and acceptable practice by the company when we have issues like this”.
According to the IBEDC boss by Monday 18th March 2019, the matter had degenerated into arson and wanton destruction of IBEDC infrastructure, specifically with the hoodlums breaking into its Central store at Isokun Service Centre destroying meters, other equipment at their control room at Oke-Omiru, Ilerin Injection Substations, the Business hub office, official vehicles and Ilaje Service Centre Office.
Explaining further, John Ayodele, chief executive officer of the company said even if the youths were angry because of irregular supply of electricity to their areas, it was not the fault of the company.
Olusola Bello
