Kazeem Badmus
THE deteriorating state of roads in the State of Osun and alleged late-night meter monitoring by purported staff of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) were the major complaints by residents of the state in January.
According to a report by a non-governmental organization, Urban Alert, 72% of Osun residents complained about bad roads in the state while 11.8% talked about the alleged visitation of the IBEDC staff to their various houses late in the night.
Urban Alert stated this in its monthly report which was obtained by OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday.
Some of the roads complained about include the ones at Irepodun street, Oke Onitea, Shasha-Uniosun culvert, Odeyinka-Ikire, Ejigbo-Isoko, and Ila-Oke-Ila.
Besides, some residents of the state have directly complained about the condition of roads in their various area.
A participant of an audience participatory programme on Rave FM, ‘Oju Eleri’, Hakeem Alausa, lamented the poor state of Idande-to-Alatori road.
Alausa while commenting on the programme which had in audience the Team Leader of Urban Alert, Mr Anthony Adejuwon, said the road has been a death trap for long.
Another participant of the programme, Oluwafemi Amusan, lamented that Okinni-Igbokiti road was terribly bad, urging the government to fix the road to ease the stress of the people in the area.
Complaining about the dilapidated state of the road linking Fountain University, Osogbo, to Ajenisuwa community in Osogbo, a resident of the area, Ibrahim Adebayo, appealed to the state government to see to the rehabilitation of the road.
Ajenisuwa said the road, when fixed, will improve the wellbeing of the people and economic prosperity of the community.
Meanwhile, Urban Alert has also said there were several complains about some people who have been reportedly going to houses at odd hours on the disguise of being staffers of IBEDC to inspect their prepaid metres.
A commentator on Urban Alert’s official facebook page during the “Oju Eleri” programme, said: “some people masquerading as IBEDC staff are going around peoples houses in Osogbo at 11 pm and 5am checking prepaid meters.
“Complainant is calling on IBEDC to clarify if those going around at 11pm and 5am are their staff”.
Another user wrote, “Officials of IBEDC are alleged to be visiting houses around 5am and 11 pm in the name of prepaid meter inspection. How will people differentiate between IBEDC staff and the people of the underworld at night?
“Complainants are calling on IBEDC to address this”.
However, the Public Relations Officer of the IBEDC, Osun Region, Mrs. Kikelomo Owoeye, denied the reports, saying that no staff member of the company would go to customer’s house at odd hours.
Kikelomo, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, said: “Our staff do not work at odd hour. Even if we are suspecting that any of our customers is engaging in illegal connection or bypassing of metre, we will rather go with law enforcement agent (s) to such places.
“But for our staff to go alone to people’s houses at those odd hours is not part of our schedule.
“I will like to advise the customers that if anybody claims to be an IBEDC staff coming to their premises, they should request for their means of identification. If they can’t provide it, such a person should be handed over to the police.”
