A power expert, Kola Adeyemi is seeking probe into Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company’s claims over frequent intermittent power hitch to its customers.
Adeyemi, who said that most customers of the power firm will spend their Christmas holiday in darkness, lamented that the company had given similar excuses for almost one month since its customers had been in the helpless situation.
The Minister of Power, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and others concerned, Adeyemi advised, should verify the truth in the public announcement by IBEDC.
He said:”For the sake of humanity, justice and fairness, the Minister of Power, NERC should investigate the IBEDC to ascertain behind its inability to effectively and efficiently its sole of mandate distributing electricity to Nigerians living in its franchise areas.
“We are also calling on the Minister, NERC, Privatisation Committee and others relevant to the power sector to reorganize, restructure and refocus IBEDC. IBEDC as presently structured cannot go anywhere and will continue to fail in its efforts to discharge its mandate.”
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) had on Wednesday, expressed regret over inconvenience caused by its current inadequate distribution of electricity across some Southwest states.
In a public announcement, the company stated that the recent intermittent power supply and prolonged outages, experienced across Oyo, Ogun, Osun and Kwara States, stem from reduced power output on the national grid.
Disclosing the cause, the company stated that the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) disclosed that an explosion on Escravos-Lagos Gas Pipeline (ELP) caused a disruption in the supply of gas to several power plants.
It noted that the incident led to a significant drop in national electricity generation, as well as reduced load allocation to distribution companies, including IBEDC.
Speaking on the impact of current inconvenience on its customers, the company noted that ongoing repair efforts are nearing completion.
It added:“NISO has further assured that repair works by the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company (NGPTC) are nearing completion, with the affected pipeline expected to be restored soon,” the company stated.
“In the interim, IBEDC is working closely with industry partners while equitably allocating available load across feeders. We sincerely regret the inconvenience and appreciate our customers’ patience.”
