By Victor Akinkuolie

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Igburowo town in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State was thrown into wide jubilation on Monday as the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) restored electricity to the town.

A source in the community said the electricity cable that supplied power to the agrarian community was vandalised by yet-to-be-identified persons sometime in February 2022.

He said the development, which plunged the community into total darkness, later generated controversy among residents, who traded blame on members of the local hunters and vigilante group responsible for securing the community.

Speaking shortly after the power was restored by BEDC officials on Wednesday, the monarch of the town, Oba Nelson Akingbadega Akintolayo, thanked the residents and his subjects for their steadfastness during the period of darkness.

The highly elated monarch explained that the only electrical transformer supplying power to the community was completely vandalised, a development that caused many setbacks for the town.

Lamenting the situation, the monarch stated that the transformer was eventually restored through community self-help efforts and donations from several indigenes of the town.

The traditional ruler disclosed that those most affected by the blackout included barbers, shop owners, artisans, owners of small-scale businesses, as well as several households.

“Several letters of assistance were written to the Ondo State Electricity Board and other stakeholders at both the state and local government levels, but they failed to yield positive results.

“We are soliciting government support for the provision of basic amenities. We don’t have good roads or pipe-borne water. Yet, we always support and cooperate with the government,” he said.

Similarly, the youth leader of the town, Mr. Adewale Akintan, described the restoration of electricity as a major breakthrough for the community.

He explained that beyond restoring power, the development would also bring social life back to the town.