Residents Send SOS To Gov Sanwo-Olu Over Extortion By IKEDC

CHUKA UBAH

The members of Harmony Community Development Association, Mosan-Okunola Area of Alimosho Local Government, are appealing to the Governor of Lagos State,Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to ensure that his administration pay attention to the agitation of the people over the ill treatment and extortion by electricity distribution companies in the state.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the aggrieved residents urged the Governor to make it a point of duty to see to the outrageous bills by the electricity companies without power supply.The residents described electricity distribution companies as one of the major threats affecting the economic growth of Lagos State and Nigeria at large.
The residents spoke while protesting against the sudden blackout in the community which was a deliberate attempt by the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC).

The blackout, according to them was as a result of supposed confrontation between the staff of IKEDC and hoodlums in the area when the company’s employees came to Okiki House, located at No,12 Wole Omo-Osho Street, Egbeda.

According to the occupants of the building, several letters had been sent to IKEDC notifying them that the building was no longer for hotel use but residential. The outrageous billing was not corrected and the bill continued to increase every month. The company, according to them instead of considering their plight, switched off the whole community’s transformer and put everybody in darkness over the disagreement between IKEDC and a customers. Residents of the community described it as embarrassing, unethical and total injustice despite their prompt monthly payment of electricity bills to the company. It was learnt that the community had written several letters for the reactivation of the community’s transformer to no avail.

The Secretary of the Community Development Association, Mr. Dayo Onadele, said that it was totally absurd and unprofessional for IKEDC to operate and maltreat their customers despite the outrageous billing they pay every month, adding that the company is punishing a whole community instead of resolving pending issues with the owner of the building and that legitimate means shall be deployed to ensure justice is done.

On his own part, Mr. Adegbayi Okiki , the owner of the property said, “The building was formally a hotel but it folded up about five years ago. Series of letters had been written to IKEDC on formal request to the change and conversion to a residential and purposely to correct the billing method. As I speak, nothing has been done”.
“I had complained and protested severally to the Business Manager, IKEDC, Akowonjo Branch and Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Alausa Unit, with no fruitful results regarding the irrational bills brought over the years to my property in the name of Okiki Hotel now residential.”
“None of the occupants of my building had any altercations or physical confrontations with the company’s staff” he concluded.