Several communities in Badagry, Lagos State, have expressed frustration over an 18-month power outage caused by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).
Residents of affected areas such as Jegba Quarters, Posikoh, Huntoh, Farakoh, Igbaho, and Awahjigoh reported severe disruptions to their economic and social activities.
Mr. Arowolo Lukuman, Chairman of the area’s Electricity Committee, explained, “The outage began due to a fault on a transformer on October 22, 2022. We reported it to EKEDC’s offices in Badagry and Agbara. They asked us to contribute money, which we did. A few days after the repair, the transformer exploded again.”
Lukuman added, “EKEDC officials said we owe over N4.5 million and need to pay at least N2.5 million before they can repair it.”
Mr. Joseph Gbebe, a resident of Jegba Quarters, noted, “We approached the Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Mr. Olusegun Onilude, who initially promised a new transformer. However, he later suggested we use the funds to pay off our debt instead.”
Kehinde Akapo, a fashion designer from Posikoh, shared his predicament: “I rented my shop in September, but the power outage began a month later. I charge higher than others because I use generators, and many customers have left. We plead with EKEDC to restore power and then negotiate debt repayment.”
Mr. Segun Idowu, who manages a cool spot in the Marina area, said, “I spend close to N40,000 daily on petrol for generators. We urgently need EKEDC to fix the transformer.”
Mrs. Iyabode Ashogbon, a landlady in Jegba Quarters, lamented, “Most of my tenants have moved out because of the power issues.”
Similarly, Mrs. Christiana Emmanuel, a frozen foods seller, revealed, “I had to switch to selling liquid soap. We need EKEDC to restore electricity so we can resume our businesses.”
In response, Mr. Segun Kosoko, the Public Relations Officer of EKEDC’s Agbara District Office, stated, “Consumers under the Palace 1 transformer owe N20.17 million as of May 2023, not N4.5 million. We’ve had multiple meetings with the residents, and they need to pay 60 percent of their debt for the transformer to be repaired or replaced. Their last payment was just N38,500 in May 2023.”
