Kwara communities groan over five-day power outage

Many communities in Kwara South Senatorial District have been thrown into prolonged power outage for five days running.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this followed a faulty 132kv transmitter line.

A NAN correspondent in Omu-Aran who monitored the development on Saturday, reports that the issue had generated tension in the area and also compounded the effects of the sit-at-home directive over COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of the affected communities such as Omu-Aran, Offa, Erin-Ile, Ijagbo, Ajase-Ipo, Oke-onigbin, Oro, Iloffa, Odo-Owa, Osi and some parts of Kogi, Osun and Ondo were known to enjoy relative regular power supply before the recent total outage.

Some of the residents, in their separate remarks, expressed disappointment over the sudden power outage, lamenting that such happened without prior notice from the electricity management.

Peter Olubukola, an auto spare parts dealer, expressed disappointment over the breakdown in communication between electricity consumers and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) over the power outage.

“First of all, the power outage coming at this time of COVID-19 pandemic is like adding salt to injury.

“The most annoying aspect is the confusion it has generated because of the lack of communication and understanding on what actually led to the outage.

“Some people were even insinuating sabotage on the part of the company until recently, we learnt through the social media that it was a technical fault.

“I think the company needs to evolve a better way of handling such situation positively in the future,” Mr Olubukola said.

Ashiat Adebayo, a cold room operator in Offa, said the outage had affected her business negatively as she could not afford the cost of running on electricity generator over the prolonged power outage.

“My cold room business have been negatively affected by the prolonged power outage since it started on Tuesday.

“Even for the fact that we are allowed to operate to serve the people following the sit-at-home directive over the Coronavirus outbreak.

“We only hope and pray that the electricity company puts in their best to ensure that power is restored as soon as possible because people are tired of the situation,” she said.

James Abiodun, a community leader in Osi, appealed to the people in the affected areas to cooperate with the electricity management in finding solution to the recent power outage.

“I’m appealing to our people, especially the youth, to please exercise restraint and allow the IBEDC management find solution to the power problem so that electricity can be restored as soon as possible.

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“We should not because of this take law into our hands. We all know that we have a critical situation on our hands before the sudden power outage which we must not allow to escalate.

“Let’s be law-abiding and patriotic citizens,” Mr Abiodun added.

Kola Alege, IBEDC Business Manager, Omu-Aran Business Hub, said the company was working assiduously to ensure the restoration of electricity in the affected communities.

Mr Alege expressed the company’s gratitude to the affected consumers for their patience and understanding.

“Our men are working round the clock. It’s a kind of technical problem but hopefully, very soon electricity will be restored,” he said.

A team of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and IBEDC is working earnestly to restore electricity back to the affected communities.

(NAN)