RESIDENTS of Idoyewo/Elero CDA in Alimosho Local Government Area (LGA) have decried the alleged unjustified disconnection of electricity from the community.
The residents in a letter titled: "Complaint Against The Marketing Manager of Igando Undertaking of Ikeja Electric and Her Deliberate Continued Unjustified Disconnection of our Area," and signed by the Vice-Chairman of the CDA, Mr Okoyemo, Segun Adekala, the General Secretary and eight others, said that on the August 3, Igando Undertaking of Ikeja Electric was notified of a falling wooden pole in our community which was posing a grave danger to life and property and requested for its replacement.
However, rather than the pole to be replaced, the entire section comprising of three streets (namely Ogunyemi, Elero and Biyi Adeyemo) were disconnected.
The CDA also said that after expecting the pole to be replaced within two days and it was not, they went ahead to purchase a pole which was mounted on Wednesday, 25th August.
The CDA also claimed that after mounting the pole, reconnection has not been done by the Igando Undertaking of Ikeja Electric.
The letter reads: "We are a Community Development Association comprising over 100 houses under your Igando Undertaking. Our community members have individually and jointly been having series of running battles with the staffers and officers of your Igando Undertaking under which we are availed of your services.
"These running battles stem from the fact that as a bill-paying people one expects, occasionally, demands for improvement of services for which one has paid for. However, it seems that the officers of your Igando Undertaking especially the Marketing Manager, Mrs Abolore Adebamowo, are averse to complaints.
"Since her taking over from the former marketing manager, Mr Okoro, with whom we enjoyed a very cordial relationship, Mrs Adebamowo has been behaving like a maximum ruler of some sorts.
"She would threaten residents with disconnection if anyone refuses to accept decisions. This behaviour has unfortunately led to a strained relationship between her and most of our residents. Sir, it would appal you to read through a trail of some of the recent WhatsApp posts where unpleasant words were freely exchanged between Mrs Abolore (profile name Orelogic) and some of our residents.
"These posts are reproduced below. The issue is that we had on 3rd August 2020, brought to the notice of your esteemed company, that there is a falling wooden pole in our community which is posing a grave danger to life and property and requesting for its replacement.
"Sir, rather than take steps to replace or replant the said pole, Mrs Abolore on Sunday, 23rd August 2020, instructed that the entire section comprising of three streets (namely Ogunyemi, Elero and Biyi Adeyemo) be disconnected.
"This action was initially resisted by the youths, but we were assured that the pole would be replaced within the next two days and the three streets would be reconnected. When we waited for some days, and nothing was done, as promised, we decided to purchase a pole which we have since mounted on Wednesday, 25th August. The development was promptly reported to Mrs Abolore.
"As we continued to await reconnection to no avail, and all WhatsApp posts and phone calls were unanswered, we sent a delegation of our community to Igando Undertaking to appeal to her to reconnect our streets.
"To our surprise, sir, Mrs Abolore treated our delegates (who are mostly the aged men of our community) coldly and made some demands which appear to be 'holding us to ransom'. Some of these demands are that we should write an undertaking that the concrete pole is donated to Ikeja Electric.
"Over the past years, we have likewise bought all concrete poles and wires which we installed through Ikeja Electric staffers and no such demands were made. It is also on record that we, through our own efforts, got a transformer which we installed using then PHCN staffers at a cost.
"She also demanded a written apology from our community for what she termed uncomplimentary comments on the Taiwo Alonge Transformer WhatsApp platform. On this platform, she would personally engage any participant that dares the almighty Orelogic and remove whoever that speaks ill of her attitude.
"All her demands, utterances and behaviours are indeed very unprofessional and are, to say the least, uncalled for from a public officer of her status. Sir, up till the time of writing this letter, part of our community is still being disconnected and it may interest you to note that we are not comfortable with the situation and our youths are becoming restless.
"Secondly, we would be made to pay the unjustifiable bill for the month of August 2020. We, therefore, request you, sir, to use your good offices to intervene in this matter and instruct that those three of our streets are reconnected. While we await your reversal, we assure you of our esteemed regards."
