Blackout: Lekki Phase I Residents Seek Intervention Of Power Minister
Residents of Lekki Phase I in Lagos have called for the intervention of the Minister of Power, Engineer Sale Mamman, to resolve the perennial problem of erratic power supply in their area.
This was as they threatened to push EKO Disco (EKDC) out of the area over its failure to address the problem and give them regular power supply.
The residents, in a Save Our Soul (SOS) letter, accused the EKDC of charging end-users exorbitant tariff, noting that they hardly enjoy four hours of power supply on daily basis.
They made a two-point demand urging the minister to intervene and help them to make their lives worth living and, by so doing, guarantee their good health.
One of the residents, Aare Wole Arisekola, declared that enough is enough, warning that they would troop out to defend their rights.
He said: “We are not slaves but educated people. Let us push EKO Disco out of Lekki Phase I. Enough is Enough.”
Arisekola also made it known that there is a private power generating and distributing plant which can generate over 50MW of power, which is enough to power Lekki Phase I 24 hours a day.
He alleged that EKDC has constantly refused to work with the power generating and distribution company, “even though it had failed to power Lekki with up to 16 hours of light per day.
“The best of what the EKDC has been load-shedding and sharing amongs its customers in Lekki Phase I is 6 hours or less per day, or nothing at all on some days.
“Viathan, which has the capacity to power Lekki I, does not have the license to power residential but commercial area under Lagos State.
“We have constantly called on the EKDC to try and accommodate Viathan for our sake as it (EKDC) has the right to the distribution wires and feeders in Lekki, but it has vehemently refused. This is not fair on us, the residents.”
In the two-point demand, Arisekola, on behalf of other residents, called on the Minister of Power to help change the commercial license Viathan has at the moment to one that can power Lekki I residence, as soon as possible.
He also said the EKDC should give Viathan the right of passage and use of its (EKDC) distribution system in Lekki I so that it will be easier for the private company to distribute power to all the residences there.
“These are the two major prayers we hope the Honorable Minister can help us with, to make our lives worth living and give us good health,” he added.