Residents of Ayetoro in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State are up in arms against the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) over what they claim to be six months of continuous blackout. The residents, organized under the Yewa North Patriotic Forum, have issued a stern ultimatum to the power company, demanding the immediate restoration of electricity to Ayetoro and 12 other neighboring communities within the local government area.
According to a report by The Punch, Adeyemi Sunday, conveyed their grievances through an open letter addressed to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Senator Solomon Adeola representing Ogun West Senatorial District, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and other relevant stakeholders in the state. However, their attempt to deliver the letter was reportedly rebuffed at the IBEDC office in Abeokuta.
The group highlighted the dire situation, citing over six months without power in Ayetoro and an alarming two-year blackout in neighboring communities like Igbogila, Ibese, Joga Orile, Imasayi, Iboro, Igan Alade, Eegua, Tata, Ijoun, Ijaka oke, and Ijaka Isale. Frustrated by the prolonged outage, they issued a two-week ultimatum to the electricity provider to resolve the issue or face mass protests and picketing of IBEDC offices.
"We are now sick and tired of this ugly situation," the letter read, "and we are hereby giving the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company just two weeks to fix this problem or we will occupy all their facilities within and outside Yewa North Local Government in a peaceful and lawful manner."
The group appealed to Governor Abiodun to intervene urgently, emphasizing the increasing hardship faced by the affected communities. They urged the governor to use his influence to compel IBEDC to restore electricity promptly and upgrade their infrastructure to prevent future disruptions.
Youths in Iperu, Governor Abiodun's hometown, had recently threatened to picket IBEDC offices over 120-day blackouts, underscoring the widespread dissatisfaction with the electricity situation in Ogun State.
IBEDC spokesperson Busolami Tunwase attributed the challenges to restricted allocation of power, stating, "The major challenge in Ogun generally is restricted allocation, and we can only give what we have." She assured residents that the company is collaborating with stakeholders to improve the situation and apologized for the inconvenience caused.