By: TITILOLA Babatunde Dayo
Businesses have crippled across Oyo town in the last four months due to a total blackout in at least 5 communities in the state, InsideOyo.com has gathered.
This occurred as a transformer powerful major towns and villages packed up since January and the officials of Ibadan electricity distribution company (IBEDC) and government officials looked away from the people’s plight.
The affected areas include the whole of Sabo, Oroki, Elegbo and Sakutu in Oyo town.
Some residents of the area who spoke to InsideOyo.com decried the lackadaisical attitude of the government and local representatives.
“The negligence of the leaders does not come as a complete shock, seeing that the only one can record about them is a book of unfulfilled promises.
“Various projects are either left abandoned or not embarked upon at all while the representatives go about boasting of moving motions instead of developmental projects” one Student who came home for holiday said.
The issue of electricity in Oyo town is not new. Over the years, the town could hardly boast of stable electricity. Since the beginning of 2019, the town has been experiencing a total blackout in large areas of the town due to the defective power plant. On the part of the victim citizens, this has created discomfort in every conceivable way, especially to small scale business owners. They faulted the negligence on the part of political leaders in the town.
Last year, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, reportedly shunned a courtesy by officials of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors for plunging the people of Oyo town into darkness.
It was gathered that the royal father decided to shun the visitors to show his displeasure and convey his people’s dissatisfaction with the services of the electricity company. The unavailability of the power supply has plunged the people of the ancient town into untold hardships, as artisans can no longer work, while businesses are collapsing and life has become unbearable.
We were unable to reach Ibadan Disco for comment as at the time of filing this report.
