We are tired of running on generator, says IKEDC district office

Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), Oshodi district office has said the power situation in Afariogun, Oshodi and environ has made the branch be like a water producer crying of thirst. Since January this year, the situation in this area has been a source of worry for business owners in the area, with many leaving while others count loses due to unstable power supply.

When The Guardian visited Lara Beauty salon, a popular salon in the area, the management said the power situation in the area has been allowed to drag for too long.
 
When our correspondent visited the office of the IKEDC yesterday to inquire about the power situation in the area, one of the managers who spoke in condition of anonymity, said: “You can see us running on a generator. We are also losing a lot on business. The headquarter wants the result as a business outfit but they are not getting it.

On why the problem persists despite promises, he said: “Afariogun, Church Streets and other parts are connected to the post office feeder and they only give us power whenever they feel. Our lives as a worker are also in danger.’’

Meanwhile, a landlord in one of the streets in the area simply refers to as Aro said, “we have been having series of meeting with the Ikeja electricity and the last time we were in their office, we met them running on a generator. This shows that they are also overwhelmed and do not have a solution to the problem. They promised to find a solution, but up till now, we still leave in darkness.

He added: “It is pathetic that they restore power supply night and we have to wait for four to five days to see electrify again. The situation is not the same as Mafoluku. They enjoy power supply and I don’t know why we cannot enjoy the same.
  
The residents of the area also complained of not having meters, which the Business Manager (BM), Oshodi Business Unit, Taofeek Basanya had promised months back in a meeting with The Guardian.

He had said, “the good news is that the regulators have noticed the problem that DisCos are encountering in terms of metering the customers, and they have come up with a regulation that all customers would have access to apply for a metre through a third party vendor working with the DisCos and customers will be able to apply for meters at will. But despite the promise, the customers in under the unit still battle with crazy bills and paying for darkness.’’

Basanya added, moving the people to other feeder requires a lot of construction work. As soon as we conclude the construction work, we will link them up with another source. Meter issue will also be resolved permanently.

“As I speak with you now, I’ve not been to the office today, I started a training programme since yesterday and is ending in two days time.
 
So, the issue of timeline will be communicated when we meet, to support our position and everything.