Electricity Billing Robbery – Ibafo Residents Give IBEDC 30-Day Ultimatum

Electricity consumers in the Ibafo area of Ogun State are unrelenting in their fight to ensure equity in electricity distribution and consumption in their area.

They have risen from another stakeholders’ meeting on the eve of the Christmas celebrations issuing a strongly worded 30-day ultimatum to the corporation to rectify identified lapses or face repercussions.

In their communiqué made available to The Eagle and signed by Pastor Muyiwa Oyetunde, Comrade Tobi Wilson, Comrade Kolawole Ikudaisi, Comrade Tijani Afolabi, and Engr Funsho respectfully, the electicity consumers condemned what they particularly described as permanent off days, and illegal collection of money from energy users without any form of documentation.

They alleged that some IBEDC workers were in the habit of going around and collecting money from unsuspecting members supposed money for energy consumed, wondering why previous payments in such a connection were not refecting in their bills.

According to them, the issue of crazy billings had subsisted from May 2018, despite the serious marginalization of Ibafo in electricity supply.

Delegates to the meeting where the communique was issued

“We were informed that the supply of electricity to consumer depend on the availability of energy with the distribution company; This we believe is the reason why we have agreed on timetable for energy distribution but to our amazement it is only our off days that are permanent, while we experience complete darkness”, they alleged.

Continuing, they said: “Our findings have shown that some of their men trade with our energy with other communities and companies around us. This act of injustice must stop with immediate effect and we hereby advise that they work strictly in line with the load shielding timetable”.

The communiqué also expressed dissatisfaction that the IBEDC was insistent on increasing Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the area, yet not ready to improve service delivery to customers’ satisfaction

“IBEDC should note that they are given 30 days to produce bill for all our people that have registered with their organisation and that all their officials caught in collecting this illegal money called loss of revenue will be handed over to security Agents.You are further advice to disconnect with immediate effect anybody that has not registered with you but is using electricity in our community”..

On the issue of prepaid meter, the association bemoaned the fact that despite a federal government directive that meters should be supplied free to consumers, but that the IBEDC had made the reverse the case in Ibafo, demanding that the next after the issue of crazy billing that the corporation should resolve the issue of prepaid meter without further delay.

It said the latest arm-twisitn gtactic used by the corporation was the issue of double billing, whereby two or more wrong bills were issued to the same consumer.

“We have kicked against this act of exploitation before but we were told it was computer error which will be amended & corrected but instead of putting a stop to this act, the actions continue.

“IBEDC has given us a great pain despite the fact that we used our sweat money to buy transformers, cables, wire, pole and other electrical infrastructure which we handed over to them and we are still using our money to maintain the same transformers.. We are going to return part of the pain experienced by us to your organization if our demands does not receive the light of the day”, the association said.

In summary, it said it had resolved as follows:

“NO to low energy shielding while YES to regular supply of full energy

“NO to over-billing / crazy bills

NO to illegal collection of money from our people without documentation

“NO to illegal disconnection of power supply without notice as required by the regulatory agencies and extent laws of the land

“We say give us prepaid meter

“NO to indiscriminate billing

“NO to double billing/ multiple billing”, the residents demanded.