Agboyi/Ketu Community laments IKEDC fleecing attempt, illegal disconnection

Piqued by the alleged deliberate attempt of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company to keep the joint neighbouring communities of Agboyi/Ketu in perpetual darkness, stakeholders have indicted the power handlers of irregularities in their conducts, citing indiscriminate disconnection and surcharge.

According to a concerned member of the community Comrade  Abdulwaheed Odunuga who spoke with newsmen about the untoward moves of the ikedc, “the whole thing started when the Agboyi Estate Community Development Area’s transformer developed some faults and was taken away for repairs by the electricity company.

“A resident of the CDA approached another CDA, Ayo Buhari Street for connection request to power and was considered with a payment of N30,000 as confirmed by the CDA chairman.

“The aftermath of the arrangement led to the disconnection of the Transformer that feeds the joint neighbouring communities at Agboyi Ketu and not just Ayo Buhari Street unit on Thursday 8 March 2018.

In order to address the issue, the representatives of the entire communities allegedly went to Ketu Undertaken office of Ikeja Electric the following day and were directed to Somolu Business District with an appointment with the Business Manager, Mr. Taofik on Monday 12 March, 2018 but on getting to Somolu on the appointed date, they were informed that he had gone to Ikeja Electric head office while the team proceeded to the Alausa office.

Unfortunately, they were told at Ikeja office that Mr. Taofik is not there but the Public Affairs officer met with the delegation and he told them the Ketu Undertaken Manager has been instructed to restore their supply concurrently.

The delegation went to Ketu Undertaken office and met the Service Manager, Engr.  Adegbola who said he is yet to receive any directive to restore the supply from the Somolu Business District Manager.

While waiting for the DISCO service to be restored with several consultations with the community responsible for the disruption, the CDA Chairman of Ayo Buhari street went to Somolu Business District on Wednesday 14 March and was issued a demand notice for a fine of N115,000 for the unauthorized connection.

Coincidentally, a representative of the Agboyi-Ketu neighbouring area, Abdulwaheed Odunuga contacted the Ketu Undertaken Service Manager, who taught the Ayo Buhari CDA controls the entire area but was made to understand the fact that Agboyi Road CDA and others operate separate CDA units but are on one Transformer, but the Service Manager claimed the issue is beyond him at that point in time.

All calls/visits to the Somolu District Business Manager, Mr. Toafeek were said to have yielded any positive result .

The issue was also lodged severally with the Ikeja Electric customer service via email and phone calls. Meanwhile, the Public Affairs officer was also contacted but he also referred the complainants to Ketu Undertaken office, without any headway. Surprisingly, the Chief Security Officer of Ikeja Electric (Mr. Giwa)  later called Mr. Abdulwaheed Odunuga that his attention is needed at the Divisional Police Office at Alapere for illegal connection and threat to the Business District Manager’s life but when he got there, after hearing from the parties involved the DPO instructed the CSO who did not come with the BDM to restore supply as the entire Agboyi-Ketu can not be made to suffer for wrongs of a person or a CDA.

Despite all the communities appeals and nebulous threats and hullabaloo around Distribution company’s service and hierarchy, the BDM insisted that he will not authorise the restoration of the neigbhouring communities for the wrongs of Ayo Buhari street CDA until the fine is paid.

This anomaly is currently causing crisis in the communities as the youths of the affected areas are fighting the street and those responsible for recurring blackout.

We appeal to Ikeja Electric to immediately restore power back to the effected community.