Electricity project: Ogun communities protest non-payment of compensation

• BEDC commends Illah community over arrest of vandals
• Gives life insurance policy to community’s anti-cult group

Land and House owners whose buildings were marked for demolition in six communities in Ogun State on Monday staged a protest against non-payment of compensation for their structures acquired by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
The communities: Shogbamu, Tonowo, Asipa, Oke Ata, Shoyoye and Otooto areas of Obafemi Owode Local Government are affected by the construction of a power transmission project embarked on by TCN in the state.

The landlords lamented that since eight years ago when their properties were acquired for the construction of the project, no compensation had been paid to. They appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address their grievances and order TCN to pay them the compensation with the current value of their properties. 

Some of the inscriptions on their placards included: “Transmission Company of Nigeria, enough of deliberate hardship and man inhumanity to many property owners”, “We demand: no payment no project from TCN”, “Heartless, unreliable, irresponsible and wicked transmission company of Nigeria”.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Oluade Oluwagbemiga said, many of the landlords have died of frustration while agitation for the compensation. 

Oluwagbemiga noted that over 30 houses were marked for demolition in 2014 when transmission company of Nigeria inspected the communities for electricity project, which made them abandoned their homes and relocate to another settlement. He stressed that, TCN had made several promises to compensate the building owners but had failed to fulfil its promises for the past eight years.

“In 2014 the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) came here to inform us that they want to start a project. In May 2014, they gave us what I can refer to as contract agreement, they signed in to every individuals that the project will pass through their land and they promised that after six months we will be compensated. After six months, nothing came out , it was in 2020 that they came to pay people that has crops and those who have land , they did not pay those who have structures, buildings and foundations. 

“When they paid those people with crops in 2020, they promised that they are coming back to those with structures after a month but they did not come until November 2020. When they came again that they want to pay for outstanding balance for crops and landowners.

“In 2021, they continue like that, whenever we call them , they will be tell us they are coming tomorrow , they made promises upon promises without fulfilling any of it. In November, we saw some contractors working in the area, we have to stop them because they have not fulfill their promises.
 
“It is almost eight years, we are having the feelings that probably some people want to embezzle the money.  

MEANWHILE, the Management of BEDC Electricity Plc. (BEDC) has commended Illah Community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State for its role in the arrest of electricity vandals lamenting the rising cases of vandalism across its franchise areas, which it says aside being an economic crime is an act of sabotage against the good purpose and intents of the company.

The management said, the power sector has been the most hit in the most devastating manner as residential customers, industries, small and medium scale businesses are being starved of power as a result of the activities of vandals.

It will be recalled that the anti-cult group of illah community had assisted BEDC in apprehending criminals who vandalized transformers in the community.
 
Present at appreciation ceremony organised to honour the members of the anti-cult group who caught the vandals and handed them over to the police for prosecution at the Ogbeleani Palace are BEDC Management team led by the Head, Community Relations, Mr. Simple Ugherakpoteni and members of the Asaba business unit technical team while the community was represented by His Royal Majesty, Obi Sylvester Jugai, the Ogbelani of Illah, Chairman Illah Electricity Committee, Ogbuenyi (Chief) George Ofuokwu, the Odogwu of Illah, Secretary to Ogbelani and Illah Electricity Committee, Eddy Ojidoh , members of the anti-cult group and community youth leaders.
 
Mr. Simple Ugherakpoteni, who spoke on behalf of MD/CEO, Mrs. Funke Osibodu commended the community for its vigilance over BEDC network, saying vandalism of electricity distribution network and other forms of electrical thefts are serious threats to power sector sustainability and economic growth, insisting that increasing vandalism will force the company to spend money meant to improve electricity infrastructure to repair or replace damaged and stolen installations.

Efforts by BEDC at curbing the menace of vandalism on its network will be recalled, received a boost with the sentencing of one David James to three years imprisonment by a Benin Magistrate Court 6 in Egor Local Government area of Edo state recently.

BEDC also reported case of high-tension cable conductor vandalism at Esaba, Otutuaima, Oghangbla and Iuhre-Ogun communities in Ughelli South Local Government area of Delta State. The suspects; Messrs. John Moses, Bako Michel, and Azikewe Festus in these communities were said to have vandalized 65 poles of high tension cable conductors in June this year. They were reportedly charged to Ogwuashi-Uku Magistrate Court on and remanded at Ogwuashi-Uku Correctional Center Ogwuashi-Uku.