Power Restored To Ondo Community

Residents of Ilaje, Okitipupa, Irele and Ese-Odo local government areas with over 2,000 communities have been in darkness since 2014, following the disconnection of the areas from the national grid by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for alleged indebtedness.

A group, Bring Back Our Light (BBOL), is championing the move to restore power supply in the communities.

Communities in the four local government areas of Ondo Southern District have resolved to restore electricity by themselves after three years of blackout.

At a meeting in Okitipupa, the communities agreed to raise funds after opening an account, with four traditional rulers from each of the local government areas, as signatories.

BBOL’s Coordinator Akinrinlola Olumide said the monarchs include the Amapetu of Mahin, Oba Lawrence Omowole (Ilaje); Jegun of Idepe, Oba Michael Adetoye (Okitipupa); Oba Thomas Adesayo, the Ahaba of Ajagba (Irele) and Oba Adeniyi Ajayi, Gbaluwe of Igbotu (Ese Odo).

He said their inclusion as signatories would guarantee accountability.

Olumide said the communities would use the money to defray their indebtedness to BEDC through the committees expected to work with the traditional rulers.

The coordinator sought the support of indigenes of for financial assistance, adding that levies and collections would be collected house to house, offices and concerned parties, in accordance with the rules on electricity consumption.

He said BEDC agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the residents to begin immediate repairs of the damaged facilities immediately the stakeholders paid up to 20 per cent of the total debt to aid restoration of electricity.