Lagos: Alaguntan Community Calls For Help As IKEDC Allegedly Plunges Their Community Into Darkness For 6 Months

Residents of Alaguntan Community in Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos State, are appealing to the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) to please restore power back to their community after their electricity transformer was taken away for repairs since February.

Mr Alade, Ayodeji Oyekunle, the Secretary of Alaguntan Community Development Association (CDA) said the IKEDC Shotunde electricity distribution  transformer on Taiwo Street,  supplying electricity to about 100 houses in the community, had been removed since Febuary for repairs, putting residents in darkness.

He said the prolonged absence of electricity in the community has made residents vulnerable to attacks from marauders that operates under the cover of darkness as well as grounding businesses and other activities that depends on electricity to operate.

He said the community has written several letters to the IKEDC to please replace/return the transformer supplying electricity to the community, removed since Febuary for repairs by the electricity company.

“The distribution transformer under Ikeja Electric Plc Feeder (11-AlimoshoNJ-T4-Oki Feeder) had a technical issue around January 2024 and was taken out of the community and replaced with another distribution transformer after two months of harrowing experience. 

“Few weeks afterwards, the replaced distribution transformer had issues and after logging a formal complaint, it was also moved out of the community for technical routine maintenance.

“Several mails and messages from our secretariat (SR-5186587) and concerned residents have not been given utmost attention. 

“Eight months after, it’s highly disheartening to state that we have only enjoyed energy supply for less than two months in this year 2024. 

“Both communal living and business activities have been subjected to harrowing experiences of kids, wives and the elderly scavenging to fetch water from neighbouring communities (even in the hostile inflation rate of PMS and Diesel).

“We have experienced several security breaches at nights and total redundancy of human activities. However, it is imperative to mention that seventy-five (75%) of residents in the community are pre-paid metres’ users.” Oyekunle said 

He said there is also a dangerously positioned bad wooden electric poles and LT cables, most especially at Omopelumi Close, Kokumo Road (down towards the stream), which complaints had also been brought severally, to the IKEDC officials without any action.

He said though they have brought their plight to the attention of Nigeria Electricity Regularly Commission (NREC) but they are passionately appealing to IKEDC to please save them from the suffering and pains the lack of electricity has brought upon their community.