31 Ogun communities petition NERC over high electricity tariff

No fewer than 31 aggrieved communities in Ota area of Ogun State have decried high electricity tariff, as a result of being on the Band A grading, urging the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to review their cadre to a more reasonable tariff.

The communities under Ota Area Community Development Committee (OACDC) said the electricity tariff now gulps a large chunk of the residents’ income at the detriment of other basic needs and necessities of life.

Some of the residents said they now spend above N35,000 monthly to buy electricity for a three bedroom apartment, instead of about N10,000 being paid before the introduction of bands.

In a later dated August 06, 2024 and addressed to the Managing Director, IBEDC; Chairman, Ado Odo Local Council; National Electricity Regulatory Commission; Senator Olamilekan Solomon; Olota of Ota and House of Reps member, Tunji Akinosi, the group said residents have started moving out of their communities, both tenants and landlords, as a result of high electricity tariffs.

Some of the affected communities include, Greenland Estate, Elejigbo Estate, Golden Estate, Itesiwaju Oruba, Olorunsogo, Wonderland Isele, Unity & Peace Estate, Isokan Ewele, Godstown Estate, Harmony Garden, Ifesowapo Ijagba, Excellence CDA, Ti Oluwani, Isokan Ijagba, Love & Unity, and Eledi Estate among others.

The letter jointly signed by Chairman, OACDC, Alhaji Fatai Aina; General Secretary, Electricity Committee, Alao Salimon and 31 others from the affected communities, craved for a lower electricity tariff or redeployment to Band B.

They noted that the communities have made sacrifices to provide electricity infrastructure through self efforts, such as erection of concrete poles, underground cables, provision and installation of transformers, conductors among others and maintenance without the input of IBEDC or any government agency.

“This is no doubt a capital project which our communities had to undertake to enable us get out of darkness and live a better life when nobody was ready to help us. Having gone through all of these we believe that at this stage we ought not to be going through this current excruciating pain in paying electricity bills due to high tariff occasioned from Band A from your company,”