Lagos residents accuse IKEDC of tariff's hike

Community leaders in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State have accused Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IKEDC, of arbitrary increase in electricity tariffs given to them but, without any corresponding improvement in electricity supply to their communities.

They alleged, for example, that the undertaking in Ijegun, in Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area, LCDA, serving its communities including, Olu Abiodun and Oluwole Lawson, were recently served with high tariff ranging from between N25.00 – N27.00, amounting to between N16, 400 and N82, 000.

Chairman of Prime Community Development Association in the area, Alhaji Jide Are, said apart from overbilling, IKEDC usually throw them into darkness for months, on the ground of unpaid bills, whereas, his people are law-abiding who pay their bills promptly.

He said they were usually subjected to low shedding and arbitrary removal of the fuse serving their transformer in the area, adding that such situations usually provided miscreants to operate freely in the area.

Mr Sunday Olufenka, an executive member of the CDA, said the increase was unjustified; and urged the electricity firm to address the problem immediately, as the costs were too unbearable for them.

He said that poor services provided by the undertaking in his community forced them to recently embark on peaceful protests at the IKEDC undertaking in the area, intending to get succour.

He said the General Manager of the Ijegun undertaking, Mr Uwem while addressing them, promised to look into the problems, but advised them to always conduct themselves peacefully.