By John Dike, Osogbo
Residents of Owode-Ede and several neighbouring communities in Osun State have decried the persistent epileptic power supply in their areas, calling on Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to urgently intervene.
The affected residents said communities including Owode Market Area, Apete, Odomburo, Idi-Ose, Unique Area, Durodola, Oke-Alafia, Ifetesiwaju, Kajola, Sumibare, Alaro, Apena, Oke Ayo and Agodo have continued to experience unstable electricity supply for years.
Speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Saturday, some community leaders and residents described the situation as frustrating, noting that the poor power supply had negatively affected businesses, artisans and household activities.
Chairman of Odomburo Community, Mr. Akolade Wakili, said residents had endured unstable electricity supply for over three years despite several complaints and appeals to the electricity distribution company.
According to him, the situation has created severe hardship for traders, artisans and small business owners who depend on electricity for their daily operations.
Wakili lamented that repeated letters and appeals to the authorities had yielded little or no improvement, adding that the continuous blackout and low voltage had become unbearable for residents.
“The blackout has forced many business owners and investors to relocate from Owode-Ede, while others have shut down completely,” he said.
He appealed to the state government and relevant authorities to urgently rescue the affected communities from what he described as worsening economic hardship caused by poor electricity supply.
Also speaking, a trader at Owode-Ede Market, Mrs. Kemi Ajibola, said the unstable power supply had significantly increased the cost of running her business.
She explained that the absence of regular electricity had made it difficult to preserve perishable goods, forcing many traders to spend more on alternative power sources.
“Everything is expensive now because there is no stable electricity to support businesses. Not everybody can afford generators, inverters or solar systems,” she lamented.
Ajibola also alleged uneven power distribution in some areas, claiming that certain businesses enjoyed better electricity supply than residential communities.
She urged IBEDC to improve electricity distribution across the affected communities to ease the suffering of residents.
Similarly, an online journalist and resident of Durodola Area, Mr. Francis Ezediuno, expressed disappointment over the continued poor electricity supply despite repeated complaints by residents.
Ezediuno appealed to the Osun State Government and IBEDC to work together to restore stable power supply to the affected communities, stressing that improved electricity would boost socio-economic activities in the area.
