By Damilola Kushimo
Growing out of patience to get electricity supply back into the community after nine months of blackout, the residents on Edegbeja, Awoyemi and Coker Road communities in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA)have again cried to Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) for immediate replacement of their transformer to restore power to the community
As learnt by ECHONEWS, the communities had earlier experienced a 14-month total power outage due to a faulty transformer but later got the power back for less than 18 months after the transformer was repaired.
However, they have found themselves in the similar situation since Wednesday, February 19, 2020 when personnel of IKEDC carried out a checkup on the transformer and reportedly detected a looming technical glitch which necessitated extraction of the transformer for a comprehensive repair.
Meanwhile, the electricity distribution company has hitherto not repaired nor replaced the transformer, subjecting the community to total blackout.
The residents lamented that the protracted power seizure has greatly affected the economic and social developments of the communities.
They said they have written so many letters to the company but without getting positive responses.
In one of the numerous Save our Souls (SOS) letters written by the tenants and residents’ association signed by Hon. (Mrs.) Yetunde Awodeko to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IKEDC, the communities explained that the said transformer was working perfectly until Friday, February 7, this year when technical crew from Idimu Undertaking Office inspected the transformer as part of routine check and reported that the device was short of oil and ultimately needed comprehensive check to avert impending technical glitch.
However, on Wednesday, February 19 another technical crew from Oke-Afa Undertaking Office informed the community that the issues could not be rectified on the spot hence the need to take away the transformer for repair.
It was learnt that the community, at first, acting on the knowledge from previous experience, kicked against the idea but was persuaded to compromise base on strong assurances from the team that within three days the transformer would be returned but, it has not been returned, making it 292 days without light.
The latest reminder which was dated Thursday, November 19, 2020 emphasised that substantiate amount of the debt owed by each household has been paid and assured that the balance would be paid when the transformer is returned.
The initial letter read in part: “We are using this medium to strongly appeal to the management of your organisation and your good self, to please, use your good office to avert the likely crippling of the epileptic economic situation in our community.
“We also use this medium to assure your organisation that all outstanding debts will be promptly paid without any delay if a functional transformer is reinstalled and subsequent payment shall be paid as and when due.”
It was learnt that, as against the appeal of the community to have their transformer replaced in order to encourage other defaulting households to pay up the expected 10 per cent of their debts, the distribution company insists that the community’s part of the agreement must be met before the transformer could be returned.
Meanwhile, the management of the company told ECHONEWS that the company is putting in its best to fulfil its promise of the agreement with the community, urging the residents to honour their side of the agreement in order to fast-track the process and ultimate replacement.
“We are already on it and there is an established understanding between the company and the community already. We often visit them in our course of trying to find a lasting solution to the issue and we’re currently filing our report but they have already entered an agreement with our company which they are yet to fulfil. We are already working on it on our side. They’ve not fulfilled their on part of the agreement and that’s what is still delaying the release of a new transformer to them to replace the one that got spoilt.”
In further response to this, one of the affected residents, Mr. Lawal Moshood, emphasised that a lot of people in the community have, so far, fulfilled the financial obligation, assuring that others would be encouraged to pay when the transformer is replaced.
“A lot of people have been paying but, we believed that others will be better encouraged if they see the transformer on ground and that is why we are appealing to IKEDC to give this a consideration. Power supply is a necessity that almost everyone cannot do without. We appeal to them to replace the transformer so as to encourage people to pay and meet the target.
“The blackout has grounded so many businesses in the community, economic activities have been on the downward spiral, the blackout has affected us,” he lamented.
