Olusegun Ariyo
Inhabitants of Love Estate, Ikorodu-Elepe, are currently living in darkness as Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IKEDC, is yet to respond to their plight, five months after the transformer serving the area packed up.
The residents said the prolonged absence of electricity has made them vulnerable to attacks from marauders who operate under the cover of darkness.
They also said the situation had also grounded their businesses and other activities that rely on electricity.
A resident, Emmanuel Ayanda, said the five-month blackout has encouraged robbery, saying, “As we know, when there is no light, it is easy to perpetrate different types of crime”
A cross-section of the residents who spoke with newsmen said that despite the fact that the community donated a N15 million transformer to IKEDC pending the return of the faulty one, it had not been energised, two months later.
Ayanda said that immediately the estate’s transformer developed faults and IKEDC was not forthcoming, the community contributed N15 million to purchase a new transformer, which was “donated” to IKEDC.
He said that despite the fact that the donation of the transformer was accepted and all necessary official steps were followed, the electricity distribution company refused to energise it and also failed to return the faulty one.
Ayanda said residents had been spending a whole lot on buying fuel to power their generators in the last five months, while economic activities have been paralysed.
“I don’t know where this country is heading. Our faulty transformer was taken away for repairs for more than four months and has yet to be returned.
“Each household contributed N75,000, amounting to more than N15 million to purchase a new transformer, and yet it has not been installed nor energised by IKEDC.
“In an ideal society, are we the ones to be running after IKEDC to return the transformer they took away or to buy a new one for them, knowing fully well that they use the same transformer to generate income,” he said.
Another resident, Ranti Olaniyi, said she is disappointed over the continued failure of the IKEDC to restore electricity in the area for the past four months.
Olaniyi said, despite the multiple complaints, follow-ups, and other efforts within the community’s capacity to resolve the issue, there had been no positive response or action from the electricity provider.
“We have been left in total darkness, and our daily lives have been severely disrupted.
“As a business owner, this prolonged blackout is having a devastating impact on my business operations and income.
“My turnover has dropped drastically, and I am unable to meet customer demands or run essential equipment.
“We seek urgent intervention and public attention to this matter.
“We deserve basic infrastructure and reliable electricity to live and work with dignity”, she said.
Speaking in the same vein, Ayo Ikuomola, a resident in the community, said it had been a tough time for the community for more than four months without electricity.
Ikuomola said that when the transformer serving the estate developed a fault in December 2024, Ikeja Electric was contacted, and they came to pick it up for repair.
According to him, when IKEDC was not forthcoming on the repair, residents in the community contributed N15 million to purchase a new transformer, which was donated to the company.
“Even though the donation was received by IKEDC and necessary approval was given, neither the old transformer that was taken for repair was returned, nor the new one was energised.
“Since the power outage and for my business to survive, I have spent over a million Naira to buy fuel to power my generator.
“This is frustrating. Every morning, women and children roam around looking for where to fetch water and charge their phones.
“We appeal to the concerned authorities to come to our rescue. This suffering is too much,” he said.
Meanwhile, residents in the community during their emergency meeting on Saturday vowed to stage a peaceful protest at the IKEDC office in Ikeja on Monday.
The Chairman of the Community Development Association, Segun Oni, while addressing the residents, appealed to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to come to the community’s aid.
Oni said the community’s faulty transformer that was taken away on January 3, 2025, by IKEDC for repair had not been returned, while the new 500KVA donated by the community had not been energised.
According to him, several letters were written and consultations were also made, but to no avail.
“We have been in darkness for more than four months now, and we cannot continue like this.
“We have written several letters to NERC, government parastatals and even donated a new transformer to IKEDC without any hope in sight.
“We appeal to Governor Sanwo-Olu and other authorities concerned to please come to our aid.
“We are staging a peaceful and organised protest to IKEDC on Monday.
“We have done our part by donating a transformer to IKEDC, but to no avail. Enough is Enough,” he said.
When contacted, Samuel Odukoya, Head of Technical Unit, IKEDC Business Unit, Alogba, Ikorodu, declined to comment on the matter.
Odukoya, however, directed our reporter to the Corporate Affairs Unit at IKEDC headquarters in Ikeja.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Head of Corporate Communications of the IKEDC, Kingsley Okotie, proved abortive as his mobile line did not connect.
