Residents of some communities in Osun state have called on the State Governor Ademola Adeleke to rescue their towns from deliberate provocation of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company by cutting power supply from their towns.
The affected communities comprising Ifon-Osun, Ilobu, Erin-Osun in Irepodun and Orolu Local Government Areas of the state want the state government to reign in on the company's Regional Head, Mr Oluwatoyin Akinyosoye to stop what they described as "intentional provocation and sabotage of both economic and social development of our communities".
It would be recalled that the Ifon-Osun and Ilobu, both towns, headquarters of Orolu and Irepodun had engaged in deadly communal clash leading the state government to declare curfew in the warring communities for almost three weeks and deploying security operatives in the towns to enforce law and order.
However, the communities in a joint statement signed on Sunday by Jare Tiamiyu, Deputy Publicity Secretary, Ilobu-Asake Development Union, Surveyor Femi Olayanju, Assistant National Secretary, Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union and Maruf Babatunde, Public Relation Officer, Erin-Osun Progressive Union, statee that the company has disconnected the communities from the national grid for over a week.
According to the statement, IBEDC's action has subjected thousands of residents, who desire power supply for their daily businesses to hardship.
"One would think a reasonable head of an institution like IBEDC will join the government's effort towards restoration of peace in Ilobu and Ifon-Osun, but the opposite is the case.
"The most surprising aspect of the satanic act of Akinyosoye is the intentional provocation that he is hellbent on not restoring power in our communities until our residents start paying. We ask, paying for what we did not use? Or what exactly is the payment for? This morning is definitely an attempt to provoke us people and we thereby condemn it in its entirety.
"Several thousands of our people are on prepaid meters and they have been added to the list of those facing hardship, despite fulfilling their obligations.
"We call on Governor Adeleke to use his good office to stop this satanic act. This act is a variance with his government's determination to bring succor and lasting peace and progress to our areas", it added.
Reacting, IBEDC's Head of Media, Busolami Tunwase, in a statement, said the company's effort to ensure continuous operation safely has not yielded positive result and cannot subject its staff safety to risk due to the situation in the warring communities.
It reads: "Safety of lives is paramount to us, either of the customers or our staff. We have met with representatives of the communities involved to find a safe means of continuing our operations during this turbulent times, but this has not yielded much results. We are still engaging with stakeholders on this".
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