Members of the Arepo Residents Development Association including those from the Journalists Estate, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest at the Ikeja Distribution Electricity Company, IKEDC’s Head Office, at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, over crazy estimated bills and perpectual blackout in the community.
The protesters, who stormed the head office as early as 8 am, called for the intervention of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola.
They barricaded the entrance of the company’s for several hours; displaying placards with varying inscriptions, such as: “We Say No Billing Without Light”, “Fashola Must Sack, IKDC”, Restore our Light” among others.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Chairman of the Journalists Estate Residents Development Association, Mr. Nosiru Salau said the entire Arepo Community has been without light for months, adding that despite IKEDC’s gross inefficiency, they were fond of bringing overestimated bills.
According to him: “Arepo and its environs have been without light for months. We bought a new transformer but IKEDC refused to energize it because they insisted we have to bring money for some accessories.
“They are used to bringing estimated bills in which we are overbilled. We have paid for prepaid metres for close to three years now, and they have not brought the metres.
‘’That is why we are staging this protest to drive home the point that we cannot continue to be in darkness.
”We are calling on the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola to intervene.”
Salau vowed that the protest would continue until the management of IKEDC does the needful as soon as possible, even as he said further steps would be taken if their demands are not attended to by relevant authorities.
Also speaking, Secretary to Arepo Residents Association, Mr. Friday Irabor, said IKEDC has refused to supply electricity to the estates in the area until every month ending when it will supply power for an hour to justify estimated bill of up to N36,000 per residence.
“We call on IKEDC to buckle up otherwise the estates will mobilise millions of residents for another protest,” he said.
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