SAGAMU YOUTHS SHUT DOWN IBEDC OVER PROLONGED BLACKOUTS, DEMAND URGENT ACTION

SAGAMU YOUTHS SHUT DOWN IBEDC OVER PROLONGED BLACKOUTS, DEMAND URGENT ACTION

Save Our Nation SON

April 7, 2025

The Sagamu Youth Association (SYA), under the leadership of Comrade Olugbenga Isiaka Lawal (Ambassador Easy), on Monday, April 7, 2025, took decisive action by shutting down the Sagamu office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in response to several weeks of total blackout and erratic electricity supply that has crippled the lives and livelihoods of residents across the town.

The youths, backed by community leaders and stakeholders, declared that Sagamu can no longer tolerate what they describe as “IBEDC’s gross incompetence and disregard for human life.” According to Ambassador Easy, the persistent outage has led to the collapse of businesses, hindered students from studying at night, and rendered critical medical equipment in hospitals non-functional.

“Enough is enough,” said Comrade Lawal. “Residents can no longer bear the burden of generator costs. Our town is in darkness while IBEDC continues to exploit us with outrageous bills and no service delivery in return.”

At a close door meeting held with IBEDC representatives, the company’s Sagamu Branch Manager, Mr. Femi Akinkurolere, attributed the blackout to a national grid collapse but promised that improvements would soon follow. However, residents rejected the explanation, demanding full transparency and immediate restoration of power supply.

Also speaking at the forum, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogunyanwo, urged IBEDC to be honest with Sagamu residents and speak clearly on the issues affecting electricity distribution. He pledged support for a coordinated response if the company’s problems stemmed from revenue collection and criticized the country’s low power generation compared to other African nations.

In a strong-worded remark, Comrade Bashiru Hammed Adewale popularly known as Prince Lahbash questioned the rationale behind the reclassification of Sagamu from Band C to Band E, a downgrade that affects power distribution priority. “Despite the high revenue generated from this town, we are treated unfairly. We need an explanation, and we demand improved services,” he stated.

Another community stakeholder, Comrade Mayomi, called for the IBEDC technical team to publicly explain the underlying technical issues causing the outages and offer a practical roadmap toward resolving them. He emphasized that community patience is running out and urged IBEDC to act before things escalate further.

Comrade Jide Ayeola, representing the voices of numerous affected households, condemned IBEDC’s continued issuance of inflated bills despite the near-complete absence of power. He described the practice as “deliberate extortion” and called on regulatory bodies to step in.

Despite multiple interventions by traditional leaders like the Akarigbo of Remoland, His Royal Majesty Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi, and law enforcement officers including ACP Alabi S. Akinjide, the electricity situation in Sagamu has only worsened. The SYA had earlier issued a 48-hour ultimatum, which IBEDC failed to honor, further provoking public outrage.

The Sagamu Youth Association has vowed to continue its peaceful resistance until electricity supply is restored and accountability is enforced.