Egbin community in Ikorodu, Lagos State is home to Nigeria’s biggest thermal electricity plant. The community sees rays of light on a daily basis but does not enjoy the luxury. Taiwo Abiodun visit the community and reports
On the streets of Egbin, a semi rural community on the outskirts of Lagos, electric cables dangle on poles while transformers dot the landscape. Going further into the community, the splashing sound of the lagoon sounds as natural music for the environment. There is no doubt that the thermal station has made the community famous. But beyond the fame and despite hosting a large thermal station it lives in pitch darkness.
At night residents see rays of light illuminating surrounding high brow communities such as Lekki, Ajah, Victoria Island and some others in bright illuminating lights while they live in darkness. They have resorted to purchasing generators to power their electric gadgets.
The darkness has made residents to cry out for attention to save them from perpetual darkness. A few said they have resigned themselves to fate. “For weeks our bulbs did not blink. In fact, we don’t seem to be living in the 21st century. We are still living in a Stone Age”, a mechanic who begged for anonymity said amidst roars of laughter. He added “I don’t know when last I ironed my clothes. Our foodstuff in the fridge have spoilt while we have exhausted our purse from buying fuel everyday for those who can afford it. This is no thanks to lack of electricity.”
Ironically, at night they see bright ray of light at the other end of the lagoon, while the town that supplies the light is in pitch darkness! Egbin Thermal Power Station supplies light to others but cannot do same to its host community.
A tale of two settlements
Egbin fate reminds one of Kainji Dam, Niger State the dam which is located in New Bussa did not supply its host town light for many years but was supplying other towns, cities and countries.
In Egbin, according to Ade Ahmed, artisans have turned into Okada riders, while those who cannot afford to buy one have become idle or turned to crimes. “Those running restaurants have either abandoned the business while generators of all sizes and make are competing with one another. We are battling with their noise and air pollution here, the air is polluted, and the question on everybody ‘s lips are what is Egbin thermal doing here? We are being cheated as they are killing the goose that lays the golden egg,” he lamented.
Mama Chukwudi, a hair dresser said, “We are really suffering and here we are complaining, nobody has listened to our plight. That is the situation in Egbin, a suburb that distributes power but has never enjoyed it even for a day!” She added, “They did not give us meter yet they collect meter maintenance and I don’t know what they are maintaining.”
She believes the community is neglected because the authorities think more money can be generated from other surrounding communities than in Egbin.
Mr Ibrahim Malomo in annoyance said, “When we see the vast mass of water one would be seeing Lekki with full electricity at night at the other side. It is just the opposite while we who generate light do not see any to consume, the mighty ones at the other end are consuming it, is this fair?”
Another hair dresser who identified herself simply as Mama Caroline said the neglect of the community was due to the fact that they are poor. “Lekki, Ikoyi and Ajah axis always have electricity supply because of the rate of their consumption of the power. There, they have companies that can consume the electricity and that is why they give them light always but here in Egbin we only have our television sets , radios and few things that could consume power, so we are not very important to be given light!”
“Artisans are suffering mothers are feeling the heat while the town is in total darkness. This same Egbin few years ago was supplying neighbouring countries such as Ghana, Cameroon and Togo light” lamented Toyin Akin who said she sells bags in the area. “Although I sell bags and don’t need electricity for that but what of when I get home? This is too bad. Yet there’s nobody out there to pity us.”
Mrs. Iyabo Ologundudu who runs a restaurant in the town said “we suffer from lack of light here. There has been no electricity for three weeks. In fact, all what we have in the freezer have all been destroyed. My sales have dropped. Before I used to make over N35,000 a day but now with lack of light I make only N5,000! Whereas the Egbin PHCN would have light for 24 hours. It was funny when few weeks ago they came out with their megaphone to announce to the public that there is no light in their compound , and that we should bear with them as if we had light before. Few hours later when their light was restored they did not say anything again and we were left in total darkness “
Kehinde Muritala , a welder said , “we are at a loss when there is no light in this community we are really suffering, when there is light I don’t make much gain not to talk of when there is no light. The type of generator I can use for my job costs about N1.2million and I cannot afford to buy such.”
Uncooperative attitude of Egbin Staff
However, a staff of the Egbin Thermal Station confided in this reporter that the station only generates power while Ikorodu, Ikeja and some stations are those that distribute what is generated from there. He added, “The power to distribute the light lies on the distributors. These distributors are directed by the ogas at the top where to distribute their light to. The command is from the top. Do you know that some of these senior bosses here are just figure heads as they have no power to either complain or react to many issues like where they should supply power?”
This is not the first time the community members are complaining. Last year the youths, chiefs and community leaders protested against not having light and did not allow members of House of Representatives Committee on Power on inspection tour led by the chairman Patrick Ikhariale in order to examine the state of the plant and the level of implementation of the project earmarked in the 2012 project thermal, the irate youths stopped them from entering the town saying the station has for a long time not given them light while Mike Uzoigwe, an engineer and chief executive officer of the station escaped being lynched by the irate mob.
When The Nation reporter visited the station, he was directed to see the Public Relations Officer but she said she has no power to talk to the press and directed the reporter back to the CEO.
However, when the reporter contacted the CEO’s secretary in his office she again directed him back to the PRO, who in turn insisted that her boss is in charge. After series of telephone messages and phone calls to the CEO without any response, the reporter left the premises in frustration.
Meanwhile, residents of Egbin continue to live in darkness, a classical case of living at the bank of a river and washing the hand with spittle.
