Residents, IKEDC disagree over solution to power outage  

By Edith Igbokwe

The residents of OOSAA Community in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area (LGA) have cried out in protest against persistent power outage as their transformer is switched off due to shortage of transformer oil.

Their worry was heightened as Ikeja Electric rejected the community’s offer to provide the oil needed to assist, insisting that such assistance is not accepted by the company.

Due to shortage of the lubricant, the transformer through which power is supplied to the community has been switched off for more than three weeks by Ikeja electric to avoid total breakdown.

However, the residents have lost their patience as they waited endlessly for the company to respond to the challenge. 

Speaking on the issue, the vice chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA), Babatunde Ebofin said the residents were worried because they did not know how long it would take the electricity distribution company to get the oil available as they have been in darkness for three weeks.

He explained that the community has made a move to provide the oil but the effort was rejected by the company.

He stated: “We have tried to offer assistance to provide the oil but it was rejected by the Oshodi branch of IKEDC. We also contacted the Okota Headquarters, they referred us back to Oshodi to rectify the issue yet, all we hear is that the oil is not available and the transformer cannot be switched on to avoid risk of further damage.”

Meanwhile, the Oshodi undertaking manager, Adebayo Adesanya, appealed to the community to be more patient for the company to provide the oil.

He said it is not in the ethics of the company to accept such assistance from the community, promising that the challenge would soon be fixed.