Interview: Meet The Alumna

“We are Bankrupt,” Ikeja Electric Appeals to Alimosho Joint CDC

Against the backdrop of a recent protest staged by Alimosho communities due to the poor supply of electricity, exorbitant bills, and no supply of prepaid metres, the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IEDC) has appealed to the communities in Alimosho saying that the rise in dollar to naira was to blame for the inability to conclusively supply prepaid meters to residents in Alimosho.

This appeal was made recently during a meeting between Ikeja Electric and the community leaders.

It will be recalled that Six Alimosho Federal Constituencies stage a unanimous protest against Ikeja Electric on the 9^th of June, on the account of the unscrupulous estimated billing issued to residents in Alimosho community despite their inability to supply efficient electricity.

Community protesters had carried placards displaying different demands: No light, No Payment; No to disconnection, amongst others.

Ikeja Electric, however, in the meeting called for support from the community, disclosing that they were bankrupt due to the high rate of the dollar to naira.

Reacting to IE’s appeal, Chairman of Alimosho Community Development Community, Chief Shola Ogunyonbo, stated that the estimation been given to the community is very high stressing that there will be no payment until the distribution of prepaid meters.

According to him, “In some areas where prepaid meters are used, they are given bills of about N4000 to N5000; the others who are not given prepaid meters will be given N15 000- N18, 000, at least N12 000.

“That is why we have been telling them to give us prepaid metres because the prepaid metre will allow us know the accurate measurement of what we are consuming. If there is no prepaid metre, bills will be demanded for by estimate which is not fair because you will be cheating on the community. That is why we called press conference that we are not going to pay unless they circulate the prepaid metres.

“But, they called us for a meeting that they are already bankrupt and that the rate of dollar is affecting them. So they appealed to us to try as much as possible to give them support to get the metres. They said the bill will be reduced. That was the agreement.

“We are going to meet our people to tell them that this is what is going on. We want to hear from our people before we get back to IE.”

He said.