Kwara Assembly seeks investigation of IBEDC over erratic power supply, poor metering

The Kwara House of Assembly has urged Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to direct the Ministry of Energy to investigate the recurring erratic power supply and poor metering system in the state.

This followed the adoption on Tuesday in Ilorin of a motion titled “Need to Address The Poor Services of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company IBEDC and Curb the Extortionist Tendencies of the Company’s Staff in Kwara State”.

The motion was sponsored by Alhaji Abdulganiyu Folabi-Salau (APC/Omupo).

Folabi-Salau observed that the Federal Government has encouraged Nigerians to adopt prepaid metering system and directed various distribution companies to make it available.

He said this was however being frustrated by IBEDC staff, who prefer to subject innocent customers to outrageous estimated billings which do not commensurate with their electricity consumption.

Other lawmakers in their different submissions expressed concern over poor power supply, exploitation of electricity consumers through the estimated billing systems and high cost of getting the prepaid metering system.

The Speaker, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, later read out the House’s resolutions.

They urged the IBEDC management to ensure that good prepaid meters were provided for electricity consumers in Kwara, while the estimated billing system be stopped without further delay.

Danladi-Salihu also directed the House Committee on Energy to interface with IBEDC in Kwara so as to curb the arbitrary billing system and all other connected matters for effective service delivery.

In another development, the House has asked the state government to provide relief materials to victims of rainstorm in Rifum community in the Patigi Local Government Area.

This was sequel to a matter of general public importance raised by Mr Muhammed Musa (APC/Patigi).

Musa explained that the rainstorm wrecked havoc on residents of Rifum, leading to destruction of goods worth millions of Naira and many people being displaced.

The lawmakers also called on the state government to liaise with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to also provide relief materials to the victims to ameliorate their sufferings.