Residents appeal to IKEDC to review debt policy on transformer repairs
By Motolani AbdulGafar
Residents of Segun Awolowo Street, Ejigbo, have appealed to Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) to review its policy as they agitated for repair or replacement of their faulty transformer and restoration of power to the community.
Following a power outage due to a faulty transformer, the distribution company has refused to supply power to the community, insisting that the transformer would not be repaired or replaced until all defaulting customers in the community pay their bills.
The company said all defaulting communities must pay up their debts before power can be restored.
However, those who are not owing the company are agitating for the restoration of power, asking the company to use other means to recoup its money from those owing rather than punishing all customers.
They complained that several consultations with IKEDC officials have yielded no spark on the issue.
Speaking to ECHONEWS, the secretary of the street, Mr Peter Ojedokun, said the insistence of the company that all their customers in the community must balance their payment before they could repair the faulty transformer did not go down well with the residents especially those who aren’t owing.
“Our street is a very long one of about 120/150 houses. We have an independent transformer but recently for more than a month now, we have been living in darkness because our transformer got spoilt. When we approached IKEDC officials in their office, we had a thorough discussion with them, we were told that a greater percentage of residents in our area were owing bills and that they wouldn’t repair it until they pay up their bills following the company’s policy.
“As an association, we helped coordinate residents to pay their bills but the company insisted that the money has to be paid up to about 10 per cent or more of the N27 million debt before they could work on it. But then, not everyone is complying because the estimated bill for a particular household is too high and they refuse to pay such outrageous calculations.”
“At present, our concern now is, of what benefit is it for those of us that have no debt because we believe there should be a way by which they can disconnect those in debt and restore our light. We can’t continue to be in darkness without owing the company,” he said.
Ojedokun further complained that the electricity officials took away their transformer without notifying them.
He appealed to IKEDC to reduce estimated bills and provide prepaid meters for all customers to avoid outrageous debts, saying prepaid meter will equally save the company unnecessary struggle with consumers.
He also urged the company to return the transformer early and restore electricity in the community.
