The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has appealed to its numerous customers in Sango Ota in Ogun over prevailing power outage in the community.

Mrs Busolami Tunwase, the Lead Media Relation, IBEDC, made this known in an interview in Ota on Friday.

Tinware blamed the poor supply of electricity in the community on gas shortage by generating companies.

She urged the company’s teeming customers in Sango-Ota to exercise patience as the company is working with stakeholders in electricity value chain to restore stable power supply.

“We are working with relevant stakeholders in the electricity value chain on a sustainable resolution.

“In addition, we sincerely apologise for the inconveniences caused by the low power supply across our franchise area,” she said.

Tunwase also expressed the company’s appreciation to the customers for their understanding and assured that the problem would be resolved as soon as possible

A 34-year-old woman, Nosimot Alalade, was, on Friday, arraigned before an Abeokuta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Isabo for assaulting a staffer of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) while on duty.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant resides at No. 5, Amadiya Street, Olomore area of Abeokuta.

NAN also reports that the defendant is facing a three-count charge of assault, conducting herself in manner likely to cause breach of public peace and acting in a manner to endanger the life of the complainant.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Olaide Rawlings, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on April 12 at about 1:00 p.m. at Olomore area of Abeokuta

Rawlings said the defendant assaulted one Silas Olaleye by pushing him from a ladder while performing his law duty, which caused him permanent injury on his right leg.

She said that the complainant, who is an IBEDC staffer, and his team, were assigned to Olomore area for routine check of IBEDC bill and meters.

The prosecutor further stated that when the complainant and his team got to the defendant’s house, they asked for her bill and she could not produce it.

“In the process, the complainant was instructed by his team leader to disconnect the defendant’s light from the pole.

“When the complainant climbed the pole to disconnect the cable that carried light to the defendant’s house, she (defendant), out of anger, pushed the ladder which the complainant was mounting,” she said.

Rawlings said that the complainant fell down from the ladder and sustained an open injury on his right leg.

She said the defendant also acted in manner which endangered the life of the complainant and also conducted herself in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace by pushing Olaleye while on lawful duty.

According to her, the offences contravene Sections 338, 343, 355 and 249 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun State, 2006.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Magistrate, Mrs M.O. Osinbajo, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000, with one surety in like sum.

She, thereafter, adjourned the case till April 28 for trial.

The Management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) on Thursday wished all its esteemed customers and Nigerians a peaceful and joyful Eid-fitri.

The Company, in a goodwill message signed by the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr John Ayodele, congratulated Muslims for the successful completion of the Holy Month of Ramadan, which marks the end of the fasting period.

Ayodele, in the statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, reflected on the lessons of Ramadan, such as empathy, unity and mutual respect.

He said the fasting might have ended, but it was important to sustain the virtues, ideals, and values beyond the month of Ramadan.

The COO noted that this was important considering the benefits to individuals and the country at large.

He said that IBEDC had put stringent measures in place to ensure good service delivery during the holidays.

“We are aware that our customers are looking forward to enjoying power supply during the holidays, so our technical crew are available to rectify any faults that may arise during this period, and our customer care line 0700123999 will remain active to respond to complaints and reports promptly,” Ayodele said.

The COO admonished consumers not to engage quacks to fix faults on electrical installations and appliances around them.

“It is illegal and dangerous for anyone to trade, live or work near electricity installations or even tamper with them.

”Motorists are also advised to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol and observe traffic rules to prevent collision with electrical poles and other accidents,’’ he said.

Ayodele encouraged customers to take advantage of the company’s hassle-free channels of payment such as Quick teller, Payarena, Jumia, Watu, Buypower and ATM to pay bills and vend, to avoid disconnection during the holiday period.
ALSO READ;Yuletide: IBEDC assures customers of quality service
“Our offices will also remain open during the public holidays from 9am-3pm; you can also email us at customercare@ibedc.com,” he said.

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has assured customers across its network hitch-free service during the Christmas holidays.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Chief Operating Officer, Mr John Ayodele, in Ibadan on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IBEDC had recently re-launched its Metre Asset Provider Scheme (MAPS) as part of efforts to ensure metre roll out across its franchise.
Ayodele explained that the company had mapped out effective strategies to ensure that their customers enjoyed uninterrupted service during the celebrations and beyond, provided it was within IBEDC’s control.
He said measures had been put in place to ensure network stability and smooth operations during the Christmas holidays.
”Our technical crew will work throughout to rectify electrical faults so that customers can enjoy the holidays,” he said.
Ayodele urged Nigerians to demonstrate the virtue of love, which Christmas symbolises.
He appealed to consumers to ensure prompt payment of their electricity bills and adequate vending to avoid disconnection or disruption of service during the holidays.
The IBEDC boss urged customers to take advantage of the hassle-free payment platforms, such as Fetswallet, Mcash, etransact, Watu, Payarena, Jumia and ibedc.com.
According to him, offices of IBEDC will also open during the holidays, from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. to attend to customers for enquiries, complaints, bill payment and vending.
“Customers can reach us via our Customers care lines 07001239999 or email us at customercare@ibedc.com,“ he added.
He pleaded with Nigerians to observe and adhere to all the COVID-19 safety protocols as recommended by Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
ALSO READ: Mowe/Ibafo/Magboro communities to start enjoying improved electricity September, says IBEDC
Ayodele advised Nigerians to observe other safety precautions, such as proper supervision of children to prevent electrical accidents, not cooking or trading under a high-tension wire and not engaging quacks.

Mr John Ayodele, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc., on Tuesday said that Mowe/Ibafo/Magboro Areas electricity nightmare would come to an end in September.

Ayodele said this at the stakeholders’ meeting in Ibadan attended by the representatives of the communities where their challenges and concerns were highlighted and addressed.

According to him, the construction of two electricity lines to take light from Sagamu and Abeokuta down to Mowe and its environs are ongoing and will be completed by September.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the communities’ complaints over poor electricity supply had been giving IBEDC sleepless nights.

Ayodele said that the contract for the project was awarded late last year, and that it was being delayed by the increase in the initial prices quoted for the materials.

He said that the Disco had borrowed huge amount from the CBN to execute the contract, adding that once the price differences had been settled, the contractor would start work on the project.

”The project is ongoing, that is why I know that the September promise is reliable.

”Even if one line is completed first, the company will energise it and give light to the areas it will cover.

”We appeal to the residents to continue to pay their bills as money is needed to pay off the money borrowed from the CBN,” he said.

Ayodele said that the way to correct and solve estimated billings is by metering every household , adding, that way nobody would be short changed.

He said that consumers should go directly to IBEDC offices to pay their bills and stop giving money to its marketeers or anybody to pay on their behalf.

Ayodele said that once the two lines were completed, the Oke-Aro line would be dedicated to Magboro and Ibafo areas.

He said that the essence of the meeting was to tell them that their light suffering would soon be a thing of the past.

Some of the stakeholders expressed their dissatisfaction with the services rendered by the Disco in the communities.

They said they were not happy with the estimated billings because they were paying for what they did not consume.

One of them, Mr Samuel Asaolu, Chairman, Mowe Area Community Development Committee (ACDC), urged the Disco to ensure that pre-paid meters get to the areas so that people could pay for what they consume.

He said that such gesture would remove the bitterness currently existing between the consumers and IBEDC.

Present at the meeting were some CDC leaders, their representatives and top management staff of IBEDC.

Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has ordered Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to write-off accumulated billings for all communities on Lalupon/Iwo Road electricity feeder in Ibadan, up till November 2020.

NERC Chairman, Mr Olayiwola Oyelade, gave the order on Tuesday while deliberating on a case brought before the commission by the affected communities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Electricity Consumers’ Association on Lalupon/Iwo Road feeder had, on Nov. 27, 2020, sought help from NERC over it called outrageous billing.

The communities also demanded for an end to what they called epileptic power supply to the area.

In his ruling, Oyelade ordered IBEDC to start fresh billing from December 2020 for all the customers affected by the estimated billing in the area.

He urged IBEDC to work on how to improve its services to more than 25,000 customers in the affected communities.

On the request to connect the communities to Iwo transmission sub-station, the NERC chairman implored them to exercise patience with IBEDC, noting that shifting to another transmission station might not solve their problem.

He advised both parties to cooperate in finding lasting solutions to the issue of epileptic power supply in the area.

Briefing newsmen shortly after the sitting, Chairman of the association, Rev. Ezekiel Kehinde, said that the meeting was the continuation of the one they had on Nov. 27, 2020.

“Then, IBEDC promised to connect us to Iwo transmission sub-station but it has not done it till now.

“Instead, they said that they had installed another ‘breaker’ at Adogba station, where they would be able to radiate light and that they had divided the area into three categories for electricity supply.

“They also said that the first community would be getting 12 hours of electricity supply daily, while the second and third categories would getting eight and four hours of electricity supply daily respectively.

“We agreed with their promises and explanations, at least, to see how it would work for the next one month,” Kehinde stated.

Speaking on behalf of IBEDC, the Monatan Business Manager, Mr Odubola Olajide, said that his company agreed with NERC’s resolutions and promised to abide by them.

“Let me use this opportunity to tell the aggrieved communities that all that have been said will be taken care of and that electricity supply to the area will improve,” Olajide stated.

NAN reports that scores of Lalupon/Iwo Road residents were seen around the venue of the sitting carrying placards with various inscriptions, calling on IBEDC to stop outrageous and insensitive billings.

Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) says it generates over N7 billion revenue monthly from its coverage areas.

The Chief Technical Officer of IBEDC, Mr Akin Abiodun, disclosed this on Saturday during the inauguration of a new 2.5MVA, 33KV/11KV transformer at Owode-Egba community in Obafemi-Owode Local Government area of Ogun.

Abiodun, who said that out of the amount, a total of N2 billion was being generated from the state, however, expressed the regret that Owode-Egba community was owing the company not less than N300 million.

“Before now, we used to collect about N6 billion but now, we have moved to N7 billion and of course, the entire Ogun region gives us N2 billion, that is, one-third of our revenue,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inauguration of the transformer came after the community had suffered power outage for more than eight months.

NAN reports that youths in the community had, in January, protested the outage, lamenting that all their efforts at replacing the old transformer, which got burnt, had not yielded any result.

Speaking at the occasion, the lawmaker, representing Abeokuta North, Odeda and Obafemi Owode constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Olumide Osoba, appealed to people of the community to pay their electricity bills regularly to ensure quality service by IBEDC.

In his remarks, a community leader, Abdul-Fatai Soyoye, said that the installation of the new transformer would boost commercial activities in the community, expressing happiness that the eight-month blackout would finally come to an end.

“Today is one of the happiest days in Owode-Egba because since Aug. 9, 2020, there had not been electricity supply,” he said, expressing appreciation to everyone who had contributed to achieving the feat,” he said.

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) on Thursday installed a new 15MVA, 33KV/11KVA transformer at its Ijebu-Ode Injection Substation in Ogun.

The Chief Operating Officer of IBEDC, Mr John Ayodele, during the event, said the transformer would serve residents of Folagbade, Ita-lapo, Latoogun- Adefisan, Mobalufon- Awokoya, Bonojo, Odutola and Ereko, amongst other areas, in Ijebu-ode.

He assured that the transformer, valued N140 million, would have positive multiplier effect on the lives of the people.

He, however, lamented that the returns on the firm’s investments and services rendered to the people under its general coverage was low.

Ayodele noted that less than 60 per cent of residents of Ijebu-ode, in particular, paid electricity bills, adding that the company owed a total sum of N8 billion to both the World Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“In the last five months, we have borrowed almost N8 billion and we are paying interest on the money borrowed.
“We are partnering with the CBN, World Bank and other internal agencies.

“People don’t pay electricity bills. Less than 60 per cent of the people pay their electricity bills here in Ijebu-ode.

“The revenue from this side is very low,” he said.

The IBEDEC boss explained that the situation had continued to hinder the firm from operating at the optimum and had affected the supply of power in some areas.

Dr Ademola Adewumi, IBEDC Ogun Regional Head, in his earlier remarks, described the installation as apart of efforts of the company to fulfil its promise of better services to its clients.

He explained that the firm considered the project a priority in order to assist the people of the area, particularly businessmen, whose businesses had been affected by infrequent power supply.

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC ) on Thursday, gave reasons behind the outage in most parts of Saki town in Saki West council area of Oyo State.

Saki residents had constantly appealed for better power supply, saying their business suffered, making livelihood difficult with incessant outage in the past few weeks.

Speaking with NAN in Saki on Thursday, the IBEDC Team Lead in the area, Mr Timothy Joel, said only one feeder out of two serving the town was functioning.

“We have two feeders in Sak , serving Saki and its environs, namely the Wewe feeder and the Sango feeder.

“As we speak the Wewe feeder is down for a long time now.

“The management of IBEDC is working to get it fixed as soon as possible because that’s the feeder that serves most parts of Saki town.

“We also wish to appeal to residents to pay up their outstanding bills and stop illegal connections and use of power because it is criminal and may lead to further outage,” he said.

The Lalupon/Iwo Road Feeder Electricity Consumers’ Association, Ibadan has dragged Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) before the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over alleged erratic power supply in the area for the past eight years.

The Chairman of the association, Rev. Jide Kehinde, while speaking with newsmen on Saturday, lamented that the affected communities had been experiencing erratic power supply in the last eight years without any concrete solution from IBEDC.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kehinde spoke with newsmen at the end of a meeting between the association and the NERC, with representatives of IBEDC also in attendance.

The chairman accused IBEDC of being insensitive to the plight of the consumers, saying that the epileptic power supply had led to closure of some industries in the affected communities.

According to him, many artisans have also closed shops due to the power supply problem, adding that it has also created serious security challenge within the affected communities.

Kehinde said that the association had decided to bring its complaints to NERC because of its belief in its ability to address the problem.

“Our prayers before NERC are that IBEDC should give us uninterrupted power supply and reverse its outrageous billing system.

“People are being billed for what they did not consume. IBEDC is using Band A, which is N62.33k, to bill us instead of Band E which is N24.97k.

“Today, the NERC team, led Mr Olayiwola Oyelade, has patiently listened to our prayers and seen that they are genuine.

“It has, therefore, directed IBEDC to go and complete the backup feeder from Iwo to be able to connect us to Iwo transmission station.

“On the billing system, it has asked the company to reverse all the accumulated bills between now and the next three months.

“We were asked to report back in March 2021 for an update on the directive given to IBEDC,” he said.

Kehinde said that the association had, therefore, resolved to be patient till March 2021 to see the level of compliance with the NERC’s directive by IBEDC.

Responding, Mrs Dupe Adesoga, the Monatan Business Manager of IBEDC, denied the alleged insensitivity of the company to the plight of its customers.

Although Adesoga admitted the power supply challenge which the communities had been facing for some time, she, however, said that the company had been trying to address it.

She promised that efforts would be intensified by the company to ensure that the communities concerned had stable supply of electricity.

NAN reports that scores of residents of the affected communities thronged the venue of the meeting at Iyaganku quarters in Ibadan, carrying placards with various inscriptions, demanding for stable power supply from IBEDC.