Ogun residents, unions decry extortion, harassment by electricity provider

Residents of Ado-odo Ota, Ifo and Ewekoro areas of Ogun state
recently berated Ibadan Electric Distribution Company for allegedly
engaging the services of soldiers to harass residents in the
name of collecting electricity payments.

Worried by what they described as the distribution company’s
highhandedness and the injustice they have suffered, the residents
and some trade unions lament the use of soldiers to unleash terror
on the people of the area despite DISCO’s failure to provide prepaid
meters.

Hence, a human right group, Balance
Measure Impact Initiative(BMII) had charged the distribution company
to court, joining the Nigerian Army as respondents.
The president of
the group, Engr. Adedayo Komolafe condemned the Ibadan distribution
company for alleged extortion and the inhuman treatment
meted out to residents over payment of electricity bills.

“ They supply electricity worth of N100 and bring outrageous bill
of N10,000. This has been their practice as they keep giving estimated
electricity bills,’’ he said.
On his part, the state chairman of the group, Otunba Lukman Odewole,
said it was appalling that despite the distribution company’s failure
to supply consumers with free prepaid meter, the DISCO has resorted to
violence against consumers.

“ Communities in Ado-odo Ota Local Government Area have recorded the
highest number of this inhuman cases. Normally, the electricity bill
we pay covers expenses for pole,meters and transformers, we don’t know
why the distribution company is now charging us for prepaid meters
separately,’’ he said

Also, a representative of Welders’ Association, Mr. Olusola Sufian,
condemned the activities of the distribution company, saying they
come with soldiers to forcefully disconnect their transformers.

District Coordinator of the affected three local governments, Mr. M. O. Adeyemi said the people of the local governments are frustrated, as several letters had
been written to the distribution company for prepaid meter, without any response.
Meanwhile, hearing of the case filed against Ibadan Electricity
Distribution Company and the Nigerian Army has been adjourned to
January 30, 2018, owing to the absence of the respondents on
December 4, 2017, at the State High Court, Ota, Ogun state.

Ladesope Ladelokun