Lagos Residents Lament Prolonged Power Outage

Residents of Alaguntan Community in Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos have decried prolonged power outage in their area due to a faulty transformer, saying the outage was causing them untold hardship.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos, Mr. Ayodeji Alade, a System Analyst on Omopelumi Street, said the management of Ikeja Electric (IE) had not been up and doing in replacing their faulty transformer.

“Our community, Alaguntan, has been peaceful and we have used our resources – both financial and moral – to support the operations of IE ever since it came on stream in November 2013. It’s so sad that every individual and communal effort has not been honoured by the company.

“Two years ago, we had an issue with our transformer and made frantic efforts by replacing the same transformer.

“We even provided a relief transformer through MTN Foundation, but after a year, the same transformer was down again.

“We have been thrown into darkness for close to two months by IE and they have not deemed it fit to bail us out of this predicament.

“IE is not living up to its responsibility. Imagine calling the company just to change a damaged electric pole to save the lives of people; since August 2016, nothing has been done after lots of efforts, calls and emails,’’ he said.

Another resident, Mr. Samuel Adeyemi, a clearing and forwarding agent, said consumers in the area paid through sweat and blood for the running of the company.

“It is on good record that poles, cable and even transformers are being provided by the residents for the company, yet there is no compensation for us.

“It is high time we took the bull by the horn to get justice. We need justice, we need help, we cannot pay for the sins of those they claim are indebted to them and be put in darkness.

“We must be restored. Many residents have been patriotic enough to pay their bills.

“If there is no power supply, business activities cannot move forward. We are spending so much on petrol, so we urge the company to support the community leaders who are willing to assist,’’ he said.

Also, Mr James Igbe, a resident  of the area said the case of their transformer was a sad one.

Igbe said it was pathetic that IE was linking the restoration of power supply in the community to the payment of outstanding bills.

A youth, Kenneth Okoli, said that the transformer given to the community was a `refurbished one,’ which accounted for its breakdown in less than a year.

“Ikeja Electric brought us a refurbished transformer about a year ago, and since then, we have not been enjoying power supply. The transformer is bad again and we are back in total blackout —  for about two months now.

“We are suffering in this place and we want the company to intervene; we spend huge money on fuel each day; there is heat and there is no water,’’ he said.

A youth, Kenneth Okoye urged the IE to intervene in time before the residents run out of the patience, stressing that it life had been difficult without power.

When contacted, Mr. Felix Ofulue, the Head, Corporate Communications Unit of the company, said the company would look into the problems.

Ofulue said it was true that the transformer given to the community did not last for a year before it exploded, saying the company had sent its engineers to look into the reasons why the equipment was not performing optimally.