The Nation Newspaper

Tag: IBEDC

  • Electricity pensioners protest alleged non-payment of salaries

    Former workers of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc acting under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Kwara State chapter yesterday protested against  alleged non-payment of their salaries and other entitlements.

    The protesters thronged the Challenge Office of the company in Ilorin, wielding different placards.

    They urged the Federal Government and the Board of Nigeria Electricity Liability Management, GTE/LTD to address their plights.

    The protesters however did not obstruct human and vehicular traffic within the company as they did not block the entrance to the IBEDC, Challenge Unit office.

    Some of the placards read: ‘FG & NEMCO please pay our monthly pension and gratuity and other benefits.’ ‘FG, let your agreement of 2012 prior to privatisation of PHCN stand; We are old people. You too will be old.’ ‘FG be sympathetic and pay us our entitlement and other benefits;  NELMCO/FG, we are old people. Don’t let us die.’

  • ‘PHCN left a mess behind’

    ‘PHCN left a mess behind’

    The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), one of the private companies that bought the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), has said it inherited “heavy liabilities.”

    To serve its customers, it said it started cleaning up the “mess” left behind by PHCN.

    IBEDC Business Manager, Apata Business Unit, Alhaji Abdulrahman Yusuf, urged customers to be patient, adding that efforts were on to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply.

    Yusuf said: “When the new investors took over the management, a lot of mess was left behind by PHCN. Some of us worked for the PHCN and there is a lot of difference between working for PHCN and working for the new company. A lot of things were wrong with PHCN but there was nothing workers could do.

    “Politicians were the ones calling the shot and they are responsible for the mess in the power sector. But now, the whole thing is in the hands of the private sector, which has come to change the system to ensure good services.

    “In the end, the people will enjoy the services they are paying for. What is important now is that we are clearing the mess on ground and we are appealing for patience and the people’s understanding. I assure you that soon, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.”

    On requests for pre-paid meters by customers, he said: “There is adequate provision for prepaid meters to be installed and connected by our vendors. If you need a prepaid meter, you need to collect a form, fill it and go to the bank to pay for the meter. After that, bring your teller to show evidence of payment and you will have your meter installed by our vendor.”

  • Kwara community protests five-month blackout

    Scores of women and youths yesterday marched on some major streets in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, to protest a five-month blackout and alleged extortion by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

    The presence of security personnel did not allow the protest to degenerate into violence.

    The protesters carried placards, which read: “We are tired of your service, IBEDC”; “Stop this extortion now” and “Restore our light now or return our money.”

    The protesters stormed IBEDC’s Office at City Hall, the local government secretariat and the palace of Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Charles Ibitoye.

    Their leader, David Adesina, said the community had been in darkness for five months.

    Adesina added that the community paid for the repair of a faulty transformer without any attention from IBEDC.

    Said he: “We have been in darkness since September. We visited the office and wrote letters, but nothing was done by IBEDC.

    “But, on September 5, we got approval from IBEDC to repair the faulty transformer at the cost of N300,000, with IBEDC as intermediary and we made a deposit of N250,000.

    “When the repair was completed, we notified the company and the business manager told the officials to repair any other fault before energising the transformer.

    “But to our dismay, the official energised the transformer, despite our insistence that the fault should be repaired first. Within two days,, the transformer broke down again.

    “Since then, nothing was heard from them, that is why we decided to embark on this protest.”

    An IBEDC official, who received the letter from the protesters, promised to deliver the message to the appropriate quarters.

    Oba Ibitoye urged the protesters to be orderly and promised to intervene.

    “I want to assure you that the community sympathises with your plight and will ensure that your grievances are addressed,” Ibitoye said.