BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The people of Offa, Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, have accused the management and staff of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company in the town of culpability in the constant erratic power supply and vandalisation of transformers in the town.
The stakeholders, under the platform of Offa Descendants Union, said they had confronted the management of the company with the accusations but it had refused to respond to claims that staff of the electricity provider were partly responsible for poor power supply and vandalisation of equipment.
According to ODU, the manager of the IBEDC Service Hub, Issac Olorungbon, was fingered during the meeting attended by the traditional ruler of Offa on May 23, 2023, at the palace, but he refused to clear his name.
Rising from another meeting held by the electricity consumers within the hub, the stakeholders asked the authorities of IBEDC to remove Olorungbon from the town, failure of which they would embark on a protest and desist from paying electricity bills.
In a communique issued after the town hall meeting on July 14, a copy of which was made available to The Point, ODU accused the Service Hub Manager of evidential demonstration of incompetence and suspected that he had information on the ongoing vandalisation of transformers within the town but was hoarding it.
The communique was jointly signed by Adekunle Hammed Yusuf, Secretary, ODU Electricity Committee; Olusegun Ogungboye, ODU General Secretary; Tajudeen Lanre Shittu, Chairman, ODU Electricity Committee,and Tajudeen Bello, ODU first Vice President.
It reads, “The electricity consumers within Offa IBEDC Service Hub met on Friday 14th July, 2023 at the Offa Descendants Union Hall, along Osogbo/Offa Highway, having waited for and receiving no response since last meeting with IBEDC Management at the palace of HRM, the Olofa of Offa on 23rd May, 2023, for IBEDC Offa leadership to respond to allegations levied against the manager and other members of the staff, and after thorough deliberation resolved as follows:
“That the present Offa Service Hub Manager, Mr. Issac Olorungbon, should, within seven (7) days from today (July 14) be removed as the Service Hub Manager for evidential demonstration of incompetence; for suspecting to have information and hoard same about vandalization ongoing in Offa; and for becoming a cog in the wheel of progress of the hub.
“That if the manager is not removed from office by the management of IBEDC within the stipulated time above, that is, by Friday 21st July, 2023, a peaceful protest be carried out by all IBEDC customers in Offa Service Hub after permission from relevant security agencies.
“That if the manager is not removed after seven (7) days of the protest, that is, by Friday 28th July, 2023, all IBEDC customers in Offa service Hub should stop payment of all estimated bills. That an end should be put to electricity customers’ financial contribution to repair or replace any IBEDC facility or equipment in Offa Service Hub.
“When a community’s electricity supply is affected for at least 25 days, that community should not accept any estimated bill for the affected period and therefore should not pay for the period. That upon resumption of duty by the new manager for IBEDC Offa Service Hub, ODU relevant committees should engage him on the critical energy matters as they affect Offa.”
Meanwhile, efforts to reach Olorungbon were not successful as his telephone line was not connecting.
