Ondo South: A District In Darkness In The Midst Of Light.
Before the elderly Madam Arelu finally got a taxi heading towards are direction in Oke-Odo, she was reluctant to speak on the blackouts as she said she had given up hope of electricity restoration to the area after years of darkness.
"How long do we continue to protest to government that we do not have light for years now? Will they say they do not see us on television, listen on radio or read about our darkness in newspapers? My son I am tired, the generator is even better than wait for BEDC", the soft spoken grandmother said.
There are millions of 'Madam Arelu' in Irele, Oke-odo, Ilaje and Okiti-pupa Local Government Areas of Ondo State who had resorted to the use of generator as alternative (those that can afford it). EMMANUEL IKHENEBOME in this piece highlights some experiences of the district and efforts so far to remedy their plight.
The four aforementioned local government areas are among the six councils that make up Ondo South Senatorial district. The area have been without electricity for more than 10 Years. An oil producing area that made Ondo one of the wealthiest in southwest Nigeria and among the Niger Delta states.
Despite monthly receipt of 13 percent derivation revenue from the country's crude oil sales, Ondo South is ironically the goose that lays the golden eggs; that has not reflected in the socio economy wellbeing of residents of the area. The case of residents of Irele, Oke-odo, Ilaje and Okiti-pupa Local Government Areas of Ondo State is like the proverbial son of a meat seller, who was made to eat bones.
A visit to the district revealed that the people have suffered governmental neglect in many ramifications. On top of these, is the no-light situation which has made the district a no-go-area for investors and a breeding ground for criminal elements with their sinister activities enhanced under the cover of darkness. The people who are also in dire need of safe drinking water, good roads and basic healthcare believe the perpetual blackout is man made and political.
OMOTOSHO POWER PLANT COULDN'T GUARANTEE ELECTRICITY.
The area in focus is host to government ministries, parastatals, departments, multinational oil companies; yet it has continually been in darkness even in this global digital age.
Earlier in 2006 the people heaved a sigh of relief when the federal government built the Omotosho power plant thinking that would end the nightmare of blackout in the area. But behold, it all turned a story of dashed dreams and hope.
"We have Omotosho power plant in our backyard yet we do not have light for years now. Is this fair? And we have a government, well me and my household have made up our mind not to vote again if we do not see light.
"We have been in this for more than 10-years, even the government do not care. We have protested and protested still no light. We have said it that there will be no election in Okitipupa if they do not give us light", Mr Taiwo Akinjide, a Cobbler declared in lamentation at Old motor park in Okitipupa.
Across the world it is common to see citizens embark on peaceful protests as last resort to express displeasure. A tool the electricity consumers have for years deplore in attempt to attract attention of the Federal Government to prevail on power distribution authorities to restore back light to their area.
At Okitipupa normally refer to as 'Opa' by locals, one could rarely get cold drinks or drinking water.
Traders have belabored to explaining why the situation remained the way it is, unless those dealing on frozen food like meat, chicken, fish, pork who had to rely on standby electricity generating set to power their storage giant refrigerators.
"When people come to patronize us they complain that our things are too costly, but some are used to it because they now understand that we spend money to buy fuel to power our generators."
"It is not easy before you sell and make profit, I swear, it is not easy here", a frozen food trader, Jane Fasehun said.
On the way to Igbokoda, the administrative headquarters of Ilaje local government area, one would notice that most of the electricity Poles are either broken down or overgrown with weeds like some transformers sighted.
This is not unconnected to the non functional state of these facilities installed with taxpayers money been allowed to rot off, findings reveals. Even with the yawning underdevelopment in these areas, campaign posters and billboards of politicians litters roads ridden with potholes.
"So these politicians want to be elected by the people they fail to represent and take out of darkness? One young man, Yusuf who operates a business centre around the Local government Secretariat at Igbokoda queried.
The 'business centre' is where people charge their mobile phones at a fee. Olawale (Not real name) said most people do not have choice than to patronize him and others in the same line of business if they must use their phones.
"People pay to charge their phones, unless they have their own generator", He said.
At the 'business centre', there are hundreds of mobile phones with tags for easy identification by their owners when they finally come to pick them up after parting with N50 ($0.7) with no time limit.
Olawale operates his business with a generating set, popularly known as "I better pass my neighbour" in the local parlance, unlike his counterpart Ifiriyele Olukunle, a graduate of Agricultural Education from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Olukunle is another business centre owner who do not use his personal "I better pass my neighbour". He tapped his power from a nearby Sports Betting shop with a bigger electricity generator and pay his 'power bills' weekly to the owner of the arena.
"I pay N5,000 ($14) every week instead of using my generator and I think it is cheaper than buying fuel everyday."
These 'businessmen' are security conscious when handling customers phones in their custody. When anyone misses his or her tag, they are expected to provide a police report to that effect to confirm true ownership.
According to the University of Nigeria graduate, customers are careful when handling the duplicated tag to avoid the stress associated with obtaining a police report to claim what they know rightly belongs to them.
The lack of electricity has drastically affected the price of goods and services in the area, which have even force many to close shop and look for alternative source of livelihood. This is not easy to get unless for those who chose to go into farming or fishing as there are no industries to take in the large army of unemployed in these areas.
"People ask me how are you being able to run your hotel? I spend nothing less than N15,000 daily to power my generators just to still be in the business", Prince Akin, an Hotelier in Igbokoda disclosed.
From Igbokoda to Ugbo-nla, like Okitipupa to Igbokoda, broken electricity poles and transformers litter the roadside.
An hour boat ride from Ugbo-nla to some riverine communities, call for question if truly the government will ever restore power to the 'dark' district and power up the communities that play host to crude oil wells.
Inhabitants of Awoye, Mese, Molutehin, Ilowo, Ugbeke, Idi-Ogba can not boast of a well equipped health centre, portable drinking water, let alone electricity.
A community leader at Awoye, Prince Dickson Aghorinse, narrated how a pregnant woman lost her life due to poor medical facilities and attention.
"She died from complications when she was about to give birth before she could get to Igbokoda. If she had gotten proper medical care she would had lived", Prince Dickson said Sobering.
Inhabitants In these riverine communities have never experienced electricity though there are solar streetlights installed in these predominantly fishing communities but are not functional as observed in Molutehin.
"I am an old man, almost 70 years old now, I had never seen an electricity pole all my life in this area. I was born here, it pains me when they only remember us during elections for our votes", Chief Tobase Aribo (fisherman) lamented.
BEDC MUST GO
The youths, women associations, community leaders, student bodies, traditional rulers, traders and other residents are responding to the challenges faced through protests as they have made several attempts to make sure the district is connected back to the national grid but to no avail.
Ilaje Advancement Forum (IAF), a group championing the struggle for the development of Ilaje vis-à-vis power restoration had in different fora accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of deliberate disconnection of the area from the national grid.
"Electricity is one of our major problems here and we play a major role in allowing this mess happens to us", an IAF BoT member said."
As IAF, The Bring Back Our Light (BBOL) led by Pastor Olumide Akinrinlola said the group and Royal fathers from the affected areas has held series of meetings with the state government but nothing meaningful has come out of it despite the government countless promises to fix the problems.
Akinrinlola has led series of peaceful protests across the district to draw attention to the plight of electricity consumers in the area.
He said the situation has negatively affected economic activities in the area, forcing artisans to venture into other forms of businesses as means of livelihood since the cost of fuelling their generator to power their equipments eats deep into their meagre profits. "It is quite worrisome", He stated.
The call for the non renewal of the operational license of the power company is now echoes across the dark district, especially due to BEDC's refusal to obey the resolution by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) which directed the distribution company to reconnect the area back to the national grid.
The BBOL convener said the decision of the entire residents of Ondo South to send BEDC packing was due to the company's "unnecessary exploitation" and "de-service to indigenes of the district and the entire state at large because an injustice to one they say is an injustice to all."
Transversing the length and breadth of the four local government areas, the people have no other option to protests. The exercise has become a norm for both the old and young who now feels that is the only solution to power restoration.
The Olu of Igbokoda, His Royal Majesty Odidiomo Afolabi Oladimeji Akokoniko, Larada I. praised the people's resilience in fighting for their rights, and urged them not to relent in their agitation for electricity restoration.
HRM Akokoniko had earlier pledged his support to Traditional rulers in their vote of no confidence on BEDC, adding the electricity distribution company has failure to meet the hope and expectations of consumers in Ondo.
“I will say this, BEDC does not look like a serious company, the lady in charge ( Funke Osibodu) does not think and have regard for anyone, she is not interested in the welfare of the people."
"She told me she is only interested in giving electricity to those who can pay and then I sat down and began to wonder; Does it mean our people are the poorest in Ondo State? Are we the only people that cannot afford to pay for electricity?", The Olu of Igbokoda further added .
The state's Council of Obas led by the Traditional ruler of Ikare Akoko, Oba Akadiri Momoh had in a statement said the traditional rulers in the state decided to pass a vote of no confidence on BEDC over its erratic power supply, refusal to distribute meters as directed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission, NERC, and failure to energise transformers in all areas within the state.
“BEDC has failed to give efficient services to the people of the state as one of its constituents. The Council has noted that the activities and services of the BEDC have been antithetical to the purpose of its creation", the Council of Obas stated
Despite the Company's disagreement with Oba's position, residents of ILAJE, OKITIPUPA, IRELE and ESE-ODO do not need anyone to convince them on the performance of BEDC. They have decided to join the bandwagon of protesters demanding power restoration as they have all resolved to boycott the 2019 general elections unless their demands are met.
NO ELECTRICITY, NO ELECTION
Their resolve was contained in a communique issued on a tripod agenda by the Pastor Akinrinlola led BBOL group recently at a town hall meeting with Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu at Okitipupa. "We humbly want to inform you that the joint decision of the entire residents of Ondo South under the BBOL group that we shall not participate in the forth coming 2019 general elections, if electricity is not restored to our communities in the four affected local governments areas stated above", an excerpt of the communiqué
As the "No Electricity No Vote" slogan echoes across the 'dark' district, an indigene of the area Comrade Emmanuel Lebile expressed diverse views to the resolve. He urged consumers most of whom are voters to endorse credible candidates from local to national levels that can "feel their pains", and give effective representation to remedy the area's situation.
Comrade Lebile said the area have been neglected for too long, adding only competent representative of the people can deliver basic amenities, most especially electricity that he noted will drastically reduce unemployment and enhance rapid development of the area.
WE ARE WORKING TO RESTORE POWER IN ONDO SOUTH
Reacting to the people's agitation, Spokesman for BEDC in the state, Mr Kayode Brown said the company is "already" working with relevant authorities to ensure the area is reconnected to the national grid, adding due to lack of transmission company in the area it has become difficult to "draw" power from other areas to electricity consumers in the district.
Mr Kayode who confirmed the broken down electricity poles and other power infrastructure said "on the interim", BEDC is set to return to status quo before service were withdrawn from the area, which he further added will depend on the upgrade of the power infrastructure to avoid "low shedding" when power is being transmitted.
"BEDC have contracted the resuscitation and rehabilitation of that network out and the contractor have been mobilized to site, meanwhile that is in the interim"
"The lasting solution to the power problem in that area is the construction of 132 from Omotosho power plant to Okitipupa so that they will have a transmission station there from there they can now radiate 33", The BEDC Spokesman said in a telephone conversation.
In the same vein, Governor Akeredolu had assured the residents that power will be restored in no distant time, that contractors had commenced work on the transmission lines to the area. The governor gave the assurance while addressing group of protesters in Igbokoda.
Akeredolu expressed appreciation to electricity consumers in the area for their steadfastness after years of darkness and pleaded with traditional rulers to prevail on their subjects to be patient.
He said: “I appreciate your concern because they are genuine. But I come to you with genuine intention to put a permanent end to the blackout. I beg our fathers to appeal to the youths to let the contractors do their works and ensure that the timeline for the project is maintained."
When the necessary facilities would be installed according to BEDC and Ondo state government, the people still in darkness look forward to seeing light, and not generator light after a long while. At last, their protests which had been reported in various medium may pay off as government would want to use it to curry votes from the area in coming elections, a known strategy common among the political class in Nigeria.
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