By Solomon Odeniyi
THE Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) is yet to issue prepaid metres to some 969 customers in the State of Osun, after six years of payment.
Some of the customers, who had approached a Non-Governmental Organisation, Urban Alert for help, said they had paid for the prepaid metres between 2015 and 2017.
Of the 969 complaints, Urban Alert said 765 evidences of payment have been verified and handed over to IBEDC.
The group held a Town Hall Meeting with stakeholders to resolve the prepaid metre injustice on Tuesday, where the IBEDC customers accused the company of deliberately refusing to give them the metres to continue cheating them through crazy bill.
One of the complainants, Mr. Abiodun Oguntola, a hunter, said he obtained loan from one of the micro finance banks to pay for the prepaid metre.
Oguntola accused the IBEDC of subjecting him to avoidable financial burden and unnecessary emotional torture by not giving him the prepaid metre.
Similarly, the Public Complaints Commission’s Commissioner, State of Osun, Mr. Ganiyu Olatoye, lamented that his commission had received hundreds of complaints from the general public on the non-issuance of prepaid metres after payment.
Olatoye said there had been no or little positive outcome on the matter, charging the IBEDC to be responsible and responsive to its customers’ plights.
Speaking at the programme, the Regional Communications Officer of IBEDC, Osun Region, Kikelomo Owoeye listed changes in forex rate, distribution policies and fraud during payment as some of the associated reasons for the non-issuance of the metres.
In the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the group issued a four-week ultimatum to IBEDC to provide metres to the customers whose payments have been verified.
A copy of the communique obtained by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday reads in part: “The Town Hall meeting towards resolving the Electricity Prepaid Metre injustice meted out to residents in the state.
“The event was attended by some of the complainants, the Speaker – Osun State House of Assembly, a member of the Senate Committee on Power, regional officials of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Civil Society Organizations and the Media.
“Many issues surrounding the non-issuance of prepaid metres to the masses who paid to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) between 2015 and 2017 were discussed.
“With 969 people that have been documented to be facing the problem of non-issuance of Prepaid Metres in Osun State, Urban Alert’s Program Officer – Mr. Ladeji Alabi expressed that after five years of making payment, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) does not have any excuse for making the people pass through financial, mental and emotional havocs.
“At the end of the Town Hall meeting, documents containing 765 evidence of payment which have been verified by Urban Alert were handed over to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), with the plea that the 765 verified complainants should receive their metres within the next four weeks.
“The meeting ended with complainants in high hope that they would receive their metres in few weeks.
“The Public Complaints Commission’s commissioner in charge of Osun State, Barr. Ganiyu Olatoye lamented that his commission had received hundreds of prepaid metre complaints from the general public, and IBEDC was contacted many times with little or no positive outcomes.
“At the meeting, several questions were directed at the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) on the reasons for their continual refusal to deliver prepaid metres to those who paid for them. Miss Kikelomo Owoeye, the Regional Communication Officer of IBEDC listed changes in forex rate, distribution policies and fraud during payment as some of the associated reasons for the non-issuance of the metres.”
