Osogbo communities protest blackout, say ‘businesses bleeding, security threatened’

Landlords and tenants in many communities in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, on Wednesday morning, trooped out in protest against epileptic electricity supply by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

Armed with placards bearing varying inscriptions, the residents converged at Oke-Baale roundabout, and marched to IBEDC office at Station Road area of Osogbo where they expressed their displeasure over the lack of power supply.

They lamented that businesses are being hampered while pervasive darkness in communities at night is already threatening security of lives and property of the affected communities.

Some of the protesters, in their remarks, disclosed that the Nigerian Army and Air Force bases in Osogbo are also affected by the epileptic electricity supply, expressing fear that the situation is a threat to national security.

The inscriptions on some of placards read, “We are paying for darkness, it is unfair,” “IBEDC, Restore Our Light, Darkness is Threatening Our Security,” and “Authorities Must Do Something Urgently, Our Means of Livelihoods Are Dying,” among others.

In an interview with journalists, Olasanya Temitope, the Secretary of Federal Housing Estate Community, Ilesa Road, Osogbo, said about 41 communities participated in the peaceful demonstration.

“We have about 41 communities that comprise of Owode Federal Housing Estate, the military and Air Force bases, and other communities. We are tired of this epileptic light that is being given to us. In months now, we have not been enjoying this light at all. They will bring it and after 10 or 15 minutes, the light is off. A lot of businesses have been paralysed. A lot of people cannot enjoy their living at home again. So, we are all tired of what is happening. That is why we are out to express our minds and tell the IBEDC to restore the light back to what it is before,” Mr Temitope said.

Also speaking, a resident who participated in the protest, Adewale Adewumi, called on relevant authorities to act swiftly and save Osun from looming security threats following the lack of power supply to the military formations.

“Depriving Air Force and Army of electricity is a threat to national security,” he stated.

He further explained, “My own personal perspective is that they (IBEDC) are depriving the Nigerian Army and the Air Force of electricity which is a threat to national security, because when they cannot have electricity to do what they are supposed to do at the Army base, Air Force base, they are depriving them of training and doing what they are supposed to do in order to protect Nigerians. So, no electricity is a security threat.”

Adewumi also said businesses are dying as artisans and traders find it difficult to render services and sell because of the epileptic electricity supply. “We are told that Band A gets up to 20 to 22 hours everyday, Band B gets about 15 to 20, but the Band C that they put the whole 41 communities under, they get about 3 hours each day for three days and blackout for the next three days. So, they are depriving us, the people, the electricity that we need to survive,” he lamented.

“What we are demanding from the IBEDC and its leadership is for them to provide electricity. If they say Band C is to get 12 hours, give them 12 hours uninterrupted,” he said.

Similarly, the Network of Civil Society Groups in Osun State has strongly condemned the persistent and worsening electricity supply crisis affecting Osogbo and surrounding communities.

The group lamented that for a long while, residents, artisans, traders, and businesses have been subjected to prolonged darkness and severe economic hardship, “while the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company has remained silent, offering neither explanation nor apology for its failure to deliver a service citizens are paying through the nose for.”

According to them, “This situation goes beyond routine outages. It represents a clear disregard for the rights and livelihoods of the people.”

They added, “The situation is worsened by the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) framework introduced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), under which electricity consumers are classified into supply bands guaranteeing minimum hours of power. In reality, many communities in Osun appear to have been placed within lower supply bands, resulting in drastically reduced electricity availability despite continued billing. Despite these arrangements, consumers are still not getting electricity as advertised.”

The CSOs made this known in a statement signed on Tuesday by Network of Civil Society Groups in Osun State represented by Olowu Emmanuel – Social Economic and Civil Rights Advocacy; Tobiloba Richards Agboola – Good Governance Initiative; Raufu Sodiq Akinkunmi – Youths for Better Nigeria; Olanrewaju Stephen – Center for Accountability & Democracy and Janet Olayemi Gbadebo – Grassroots Watch.

They said the consequences of the prolonged darkness are severe, noting that “businesses are collapsing, artisans and traders are suffering daily losses, households are forced to rely on expensive alternative power sources, and essential services are being disrupted.” This situation is worsening poverty and undermining economic stability in the state,” they noted.

They therefore demanded restoration of stable electricity supply across Osogbo and its environs within the next 48 hours.

Other demands included, “Public disclosure of feeder classifications and actual hours of supply; Transparent communication and accountability from IBEDC.”

According to them, “If these demands are not addressed within 48 hours, civil society groups will mobilise residents, market associations, youth groups, artisans, and community leaders for a peaceful mass protest to the IBEDC regional office in Osogbo.

“Electricity is not a privilege. It is a paid-for essential service. The people of Osun will no longer tolerate neglect, exploitation, and silence from those responsible. Enough is enough.”