Oyo community petitions FG over IBEDC’s failure to energise new transformers

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Residents of Oke-Omi community, in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, under the aegis of Oke-Omi Community Development Association have petitioned the National Assembly, Minister of Power, The managing director/chief executive officer of the Nigerian Electrification Management Services Agency (NEMSA) over the refusal by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), to energise the new 500KVA/33/0415 transformers donated to them.

The transformers were donated by Emmanuel Folorunsho Ogunnaike, patron of the community, chairman of Fol-Hope Limited

as part of his Corporate Social Responsibility to the community.

In a letter signed by their lawyer, Tunji Ogunrinde, addressed to the aforementioned authorities, a copy of which was made available to the journalists recently in Ibadan, the community noted with disdain the attitude of IBEDC officials which it said was targeted at frustrating the

CSR drive of the donor.

According to the letter, the community informed that after the installation of the transformer in April, 2019, some officials of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) were invited for the inspection of the project and they certified the installation.

The letter further stated that after numerous fruitless visits and written letters dated 4th April, 2019 and 30th April, 2019, by the donor and members of the community to get IBEDC to energise the transformers, of which were not replied, officials of the company told them that an approval from NEMSA is required before the transformers can be energised.

As contained in the letter, the donor of the transformers alongside members of the community visited the Western Zone Area manager of NEMSA, who informed that the organisation had issued a circular in June 2019, placing an embargo on energising of 33KVA transformers.

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“All efforts at explaining to the said Western Zone Area manager of NEMSA, that the installation of the said transformers preceded the issuance of the official circular restricting the energising of 33KVA transformers fell on deaf ears; as they were hell-bent on not energising the transformers except with a directive from the managing director/chief executive officer and chief electrical inspector of the Federation of NEMSA to do so,” the letter states.

Residents of the community, while pleading to the government and other relevant authorities to immediately lift whatever embargo placed on the energising of the transformers, saying that the donor, who procured the new transformers to be encouraged by energising the transformers.

Josephine Okojie

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