Controversies have not ceased on the recent electricity classifications as residents of about 31 aggrieved communities in the Ota area of Ogun State have written to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and others, complaining about the high electricity tariff that has forced some residents to leave the communities in droves.
The residents in the communities under the aegis of the Ota Area Community Development Committee (OACDC) are placed on the Band A grading which requires them to pay N225 per kWh for electricity supply. They complained that the electricity tariff now gulps a large chunk of their income to the detriment of other basic needs and necessities of life.
Some residents who live in a three-bedroom apartment said they now spend over N35,000 monthly to buy power instead of about N10,000 paid before the introduction of bands.
Consumers under the Band A electricity tariff classification are to pay N225 per KWh for 20 hours daily, a significant increase from the previous rate of N66 per Kwh.
They urged the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to review their cadre to a more reasonable tariff.
In a letter dated August 06, 2024, and addressed to the Managing Director, IBEDC; Chairman, Ado Odo Local Government and National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Senator Olamilekan Solomon (YAYI), Olota of Ota and the House of Reps member, Hon.Tunji Akinosi, the group said some people have started moving out of their communities, both tenants and landlords, as a result of high electricity tariffs.
The letter jointly signed by Chairman, OACDC, Fatai Aina, General Secretary, Electricity Committee, Alao Salimon and 31 others from various affected communities, seeks a lower electricity tariff or redeployment to Band B.
“We believe that a lower electricity tariff or redeployment to Band B will go a long way to make life bearable to the majority of our members, reduce the incidence of meter bye pass by some unscrupulous people and lead to an increase in the level of your revenue generation, as CDAs will be able to continue to monitor the level of compliance with the electricity rules and regulations put forward by your company (IBEDC).”
They noted that “the communities have made sacrifices to provide electricity infrastructure through self-efforts, such as installation of concrete poles, underground cables, provision and installation of transformers, conductors among others and maintenance without the input of your organisation (IBEDC) or any government agency.
“This is no doubt a capital project which our communities had to undertake to enable us to get out of darkness and live a better life when nobody was ready to help us. Having gone through all of these we believe that at this stage we ought not to be going through this current excruciating pain in paying electricity bills due to the high tariff occasioned from Band A from your company,”
“Consequently, we the executive committees of these CDAs hereby request on behalf of our people that your distribution company restore us to the former tariff that we were enjoying before the introduction of band A or redeploy us to band ‘B’ as we can no longer afford the high rate. This decision has been ratified by the residents in our various CDAs and agreed upon at our general meeting since we are no longer comfortable with band A,”
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