Nigerians groan under power blackout, as IKEDC apologises

IN what appears similar to the subsidy protest in 2013, protesters besieged the office of the Ikeja electricity Distribution Company at Akute, Ogun State at the weekend over continued power blackout in the area.

One of the protesters, Alhaji Mukaila Aliu said the area had been under total blackness since the 4th of March, 2016. “We cannot continue this way. At the end of the month, IKEDC official from the unit would come and give us ridiculous bills, yet we have always pay because they gave us no other option except to disconnect us. But they are not fulfilling their own side of the bargains,” he explained.

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National Daily gathered that it was not just Akute, but rather in most part of Lagos State. Power generation has dropped insignificantly from 4200MW last week to 4161MW. Ikeja Disco network covers such areas as Isolo, Ikorodu, Ikeja, Shomolu, Bariga, Alimosho, Arepo, Ojodu Berger and some parts of Sango.

Sequel to this, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company has apologised for the epileptic power supply across its network in the past three days. The company’s Head of Corporate Communications, Felix Ofulue, made this appeal in Lagos and attributed the poor service to the ongoing activities by some Labour Unions who are picketing the facilities of the company.
According to him, the members of staff of the company are not on strike, rather they have been prevented by the protesting Labour Unions from gaining access to the facilities and are therefore, not in a position to provide any consistent services to its valued customers.

“Ikeja Electric regrets all inconveniences these action may have caused its customers and appeals to all its customers to please bear with us. We assure that the company is doing its best to normalize the situation within the shortest possible time. We thank all our customers for their patience and understanding,” he added.