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Lagos community petitions government over Disco failure to energise transformer

By Roseline Okere
29 November 2017   |   2:30 am
Progressive Estate Community Development Association (PECDAS), Iwowokekere in Ijede area of Lagos, has raised an alarm over the failure of Ikeja Electric to energise the 33kv, 500kva transformer donated by the community since 2014.

Progressive Estate Community Development Association (PECDAS), Iwowokekere in Ijede area of Lagos, has raised an alarm over the failure of Ikeja Electric to energise the 33kv, 500kva transformer donated by the community since 2014.

The community also expressed concern over the high estimated bills being imposed on consumers by the electricity company.In a letter written to Ikeja Electric, the Lagos State Government, and its Ministry of Rural Development, and Electricity Board, the association complained of Ikeja Disco’s laissez faire attitude towards installing the transformer, and restoring electricity to the community.

The group, in the letters signed by its Chairman, Femi Ibrahim, said the community had remained in darkness for years, leading to incessant robbery attacks, and deprivation of economic activities in the area.

 
The association in one of the letters, said: “We urgently appeal for the installation materials to service your increasing customers, and save us from epileptic electricity supply rotated among three estates thereby worsening our sufferings. We have invested emotional, physical, and financial expenses and commitment in the community only to suffer serious hardship of epileptic power supply from a single transformer used by over three communities. We are daily confronted with electrical faults due to over-loading arising from transformer problems.”
 
In response, to one of the petitions to the Lagos State Governor, the Chief of Staff, Kola Aileru, had promised the community that their complaint had been forwarded to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for further action.
 
But nine months after the assurance, the community is yet to get a reprieve from the electricity distribution company.Speaking on the incidence of estimated billing, the community said: “We believe that the estimated billing is a fraud, and highhanded of the electricity company forcing residents to pay electricity bills which are is too high.”
 
In view of the continued power outage, the community therefore demand of Ikeja Electric, to “without delay, energise the substation, which has been shut down by the company; should inspect, provide installation materials, and energise the 33KV, 500KVA transformer; exemption from electricity payment from October 2017, till restoration of the shutdown station.”
 
However, the Manager, External Communication and Media Relations for Ikeja Electric, Akinola Ayeni, said improved electricity might take some time due to many other complaints that have been receiving from different communities, but that they would be attended to.The Business Manager of Ikorodu, Okoye, promised to restore electricity on the condition that residents would pay their currents bills and 20 per cent of their outstanding bills.
 

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