“No Light No Bill,” “Total Darkness, Crazy Bills, Why?” “Don’t We Have the Right to Express Our Rights?” “We Want Prepaid Metres,” were some of the inscriptions displayed by protesting residents of Onipanu, Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA of Lagos State at the headquarters of Ikeja Electricity Plc, weekend.
The residents of about 57 streets in the area, on the platform of Concerned Resi-dents Community, led by their Chairman, Engr. Yusuf Usman, said they will no longer pay any bill without prepaid metres and an end to estimated billing.
Failed meeting
Armed with a letter for the company’s CEO, the aggrieved protesters were denied entrance into the premises.
However, at 12:39p.m., the Head of Security, Mr. Mandu Albert, arrived and invited four members of the protesters, including the PRO, Mr. Ife Aderoju, for a meeting.
The representatives, led by the Chairman, Engr. Usman, stormed out few minutes later, saying they will only negotiate with the management team of IKDC.
“How can anyone justify the increase of a three-bedroom bill from N4,000 to N30,000? Our lawyer is preparing.”
Previous attempts
One of the residents, Mrs Abiodun Babatunde, told Vanguard that they had been making attempts to talk to the undertakers and the headquarters since January without success. So they decided on this action.
Vanguard’s attempts to talk to management staff of the DISCO were unsuccessful, as security men at the gate only took contact numbers of the reporter.
Some of the affected streets include Abbey Road, Abidogun, Adebimpe, Adekoya, Ibiwoye Oba, Ikorodu Road, Soetan, Wereni Close, among others.
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Credit: All Africa