By Oladipo Oluwatosin
ATAN/OTA, OGUN STATE — In a fierce showdown over persistent power failures and oppressive billing practices, Chief Comrade Emmanuel Abatan, former Chairman of the Atan Area Community Development Committee (ACDC), has launched a blistering critique against the management of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), declaring that host communities are no longer willing to be treated as passive victims of utility exploitation.
Leading a massive peaceful protest alongside Otunba Sunday Olatunji, Chairman of the Atan ACDC; Comrade Abatan delivered a firm ultimatum to IBEDC executives at their distribution hubs in Atan and Iyana-Ota: an immediate end to "average spending billing" and the mandatory rollout of prepaid meters across all households.
"Partners, Not Just Customers"
Addressing utility officials directly, Comrade Abatan reshaped the dynamic between the electricity provider and the residents, asserting that host communities are the foundational backbone of IBEDC's operational existence.
"Communities are not just your customers; we are your PARTNERS in progress. Without the Community Development Associations (CDAs) and local residents, there is no food on the table for IBEDC. We use our own hard-earned money to buy the poles, the wires, and the transformers that power this grid—taking on the responsibilities that government and utility companies failed to meet. Yet, we are rewarded with blackouts and arbitrary bills."
The protest represented the third phase of a escalating community campaign. Prior efforts—including formal invitations for roundtable discussions and written petitions sent by community leadership—were ignored by local distribution heads, pushing the community to confront IBEDC directly at its operational offices.
Direct Warnings and High-Level Engagement
Demonstrators brandishing placards with messages such as "No More Board Billing," "Give Us Prepaid Meters," and "We Are Paying for Blackouts, Not Electricity" expressed outrage over attempts by the Atan Division Distribution Transformer Manager (DTM), Alhaji Olatunji, to defend current practices. Community members issued a clear warning: any IBEDC staff attempting to climb poles or tamper with community-funded transformers without resolving these grievances will face stiff local resistance.
The protest subsequently shifted to the Ota Distribution Office, where the Technical Manager (TM) and Business Manager (BM) received the delegation to de-escalate tensions and address the core operational issues:
Prepaid Meter Strategy: The Technical Manager stated that primary metering under Band A has been completed, with Band B near completion. Atan, currently falling under Bands C and E, is slotted for the next phase. He noted that residents who choose to purchase meters upfront through approved frameworks will be reimbursed gradually via energy credits.
Infrastructure Capped at 12MW: The TM highlighted macro-level grid failures, explaining that Nigeria’s total generation capacity floats around 4,000 Megawatts. Under current load-allocation systems, the entire Atan corridor receives only 12 Megawatts split across seven distribution switches.
Long-Term Capacity Expansion: Full operational relief for Atan, Agbara, and surrounding communities is tied to the completion of the regional power infrastructure project facilitated by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), which will allow the area to migrate to higher-tier service bands.
The Way Forward
To establish a equitable working relationship between IBEDC and its partner communities, both parties must commit to immediate structural reforms:
Enforce NERC Energy Caps: IBEDC must immediately halt arbitrary estimated billing in Atan and apply strict regulatory billing caps based on actual hours of electricity delivered.
Audit and Repair Transformer Meters: Technical teams must repair and calibrate all transformer-level meter readers to ensure transparent, verifiable energy auditing for each neighborhood.
Transparent Meter Deployment Schedule: IBEDC should publish a clear timeline for Band C and E prepaid meter distribution, alongside an automated reimbursement protocol for residents funding their own meters.
Joint Stakeholder Committee: Establish a monthly joint committee comprising ACDC, PCRC, and IBEDC representatives to monitor power distribution, verify load allocation, and eliminate allegations of selective power diversion.
Accelerate Regional Infrastructure: Fast-track the commissioning of the Yayi-facilitated power project to raise Atan's 12MW allocation to meet rising residential and commercial demand.
