Traditional rulers, community leaders, religious heads, women, men and youths of Ibafo community in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have protested against the absence of electricity in the community.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the residents had been living in darkness for the past five years and efforts to get the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company to fix the problem had hit brick walls.
Economic activities, security and the social life of the more than one million people, said to be living in the area, were said to have been affected.
The residents said apart from the huge expenses on fuel to run generators, development had been elusive as businesses had not been established in the area.
The placard-carrying residents marched to the PUNCH Place at Magboro, Ogun State, on Saturday, decrying their poor treatment by the Ibadan Disco, and alleging that the company had been deceptive and nonchalant about their situation.
Some of the placards read, “‘Ibafo needs electricity,’ ‘Ibafo has been in total darkness for the past five years,’ ‘We need the help of the government.’”
Ibafo is made up of four community development committees, namely Ofada, Mowe, Ibafo and Magboro/Arepo.
The four CDCs reportedly have over 280 community development areas.
The Baale of Arepo, Chief Nurudeen Rasheed, explained that the Ibafo area had not felt government’s impact for a long time.
He said, “We are suffering in Ibafo. For more than five years now, we have been in darkness. We have not had any benefit from government.
“The roads are in a bad shape; no community school, no health centre or even potable water. But of utmost concern is this electricity problem which has crippled all activities.”
A press statement by the residents’ association stated that the government, in a bid to solve the problem, disconnected the residents from the Ibadan Disco and connected them to a power project in Oke Aro, a neighbouring community.
However, the project was said to have been abandoned.
The statement read in part, “We had written several letters and held series of meetings with the authorities at the district, state and federal levels. In response, we were attached to a power station at Oke Aro.
“However, the construction project of a sub-station at the MFM area, through which Ibafo was to be supplied, was suddenly halted by unnecessary bureaucratic processes.
“Meanwhile, our main source of electricity supply was from Abeokuta, under Sagamu/Ibadan Disco. Unfortunately, the source was disconnected in expectation of the new project, leaving the entire community in darkness while the project remains unattended to.”
The Chairman of the Ibafo CDC, Pastor Goke Ayeni, said more meetings held with the authorities to address the challenge had been futile.
He said, “The Oke Aro project was supposed to be finished and commissioned in November, 2014, but it failed. Because that project failed, our substation at the MFM area was also abandoned.”
PUNCH Metro gathered that the community had spent more than N4m without getting any result.
The Secretary of the Ibafo CDC, Mrs. Gbemi Ogunbawo, also appealed for the creation of a U-turn to give residents easy access to the area.
She said, “Apart from the power problem, we usually have to travel a long distance before we can turn to enter into our community.
“A pedestrian bridge will also not be out of place after the completion of the ongoing reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.”
The head of the customer care unit of the Ibadan Disco, who identified himself as Olaitan, refused to comment when contacted on the telephone by our correspondent.
He said, “Come to our office in Ibadan and write a letter stating your enquiries. I am sorry; I can’t say anything.”