Like in many communities in Ekiti State, Gbonyin (Aiyekire) LG communities are largely in darkness because of one or more factors:
- Outstanding debts, whether contested or not. Some communities in Gbonyin are accounted to owe as much as N40M, have their electricity cut off, and must therefore sit down with their creditors to work things out, and from there on be prepared to vend for use of electricity at set tariffs, whether cost reflective or service-based.
- Bad transformers, some blown, others vandalized. The number and circumstances transformers of each community in Gbonyin are known. Vandalization is an unwelcome unpatriotic blight on these communities.
- Good but un-energized transformers. There are communities whose total transformer power is more than they currently need, but some transformers were installed without BEDC knowledge or consent. Transformers dont produce energy, they just step up or step down voltages. Indiscriminate installation of transformers do not translate to more electricity.
- Down or bad electricity wires – either intercity/town or within city/town. BEDC must identify these, and citizens must also be prepared to report down lines.
- The most problematic: insufficient power to Ekiti State as a whole. Of the typically 3000-5000 MW episodically available on the National Grid, BEDC’s four states (Delta, Edo, Ekiti and Ondo) statutorily get 9%. Of that 9%, Ondo and Ekiti are jointly assigned 22%. Of the amount given to these two sister states, Ekiti gets about 33%. That means at best Ekiti State gets anywhere 33% of 22% of 9% of 3000 – 5000ME – that is from 20MW – 33M. This is a choleric kwashiokoric amount for 3.3 million people of the state.
As Chaiperson of the Joint Action Committee on Electricity in Ekiti (JACEEK) – comprised of Ekiti State and BEDC officials, whose emphasis has been to bring as many disconnected communities back online as possible – I have conveyed the situation of each community to its leadership, including the need for enumeration and energy audits, and consideration of bulk, contact and private meters.
For obvious reasons, I worked with my home Ode town – which owed to about N12 million – to resolve some of its problems with BEDc and have its electricity restored as far back as October 2019 or so. It is not nirvana yet in Ode, but at least things are better than before.
Finally, please read Governor Fayemi’s January 1 speech, the electricity-relevant part of which I now quote;
Quote
Electricity remains a sore point in many communities in Ekiti State due to the less than satisfactory supply by BEDC. Many of our people are rightly unhappy about the bad electricity supply to the State as we are in government. We are working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria to improve the transmission capacity in the State by creating additional loop with the installation of 132 – 33kva substations in Ijesha-Isu and Ifaki. We are also working with the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria on solar powered energy in various communities. Equally, the State has signed a contract for a 3 megawatt Independent Power Project which will supply power to all public institutions including the Secretariat, street lights, Teaching Hospital, the State University and Government House. This project is due for completion in August 2021.
Unquote
So things will look up shortly.
And there you have it.
Compliments of the season.
Bolaji Aluko
SADG OTSD
January 3, 2021
