Residents of Lalupon, a community in the Lagelu Local Government Area, Ibadan, Oyo state, have expressed their frustration over the persistent power supply issues that have plagued the area for the past 14 years.
Adewale Yusuf, one of the protesters, voiced the community grievances during the protest at the Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan early this morning.
According to the leader of the residents, Mr Yusuf, who spoke to IbadanCity ANNOUNCER on the power situation in Lalupon, he highlighted a significant disparity in the development of power infrastructure between Lagelu Local Government and Oyo Town. He noted that while two substations were allocated, one to Lagelu Local Government and the other to Oyo Town, only the substation for Oyo Town is nearing completion. Meanwhile, the substation meant for Lalupon has yet to see any substantial work commence. According to Yusuf, areas such as Olodo, Iyana- Church are not affected and he further highlighted that Lalupon feeder is the longest feeder in Oyo state hence the reason why the transformer assigned has been unable to distribute electricity to Lalupon and its environs. Furthermore, areas such as Oyedeji, Ejioku and Apateere have also been grappling with similar issues, compounding the challenges faced by local residents
He further narrated that the electricity situation in Lalupon and its environs has remained dire, with little or no visible progress made towards resolving the long standing issues. He revealed that the contractor assigned to the Lalupon substation project received payment in October 2023 but has not been seen on the field since then. This has raised concerns about accountability and transparency in the handling of the project funds.
The reason for our protest is to demand answers, “Yusuf explained. “We want to know who the contractor is and why he received payment but has not commenced work on the substation. It is crucial that we hold the responsible parties accountable to ensure that the project is completed and our power supply issues are resolved.”
The Executive Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Security Matters, CP Sunday Odukoya addressed the protesters. He assured them of the state government commitment to address the issue.
Reports by Ojetunde Tobiloba for IbadanCity ANNOUNCER
