By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

The Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN), Osun State Chapter, on Thursday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, the state capital, to condemn what it described as indiscriminate extortion, harassment, and inhuman treatment of electricity consumers by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

Protesting members of the association carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Enough of IBEDC Exploitation on Customers,” “Replace All Faulty Meters,” “Stop Supplying Substandard Meters,” “Band System is a Fraud,” “End Exploitation Over Transformers,” “Stop Delays in Meter Account Generation,” “New Account Billing is Fraud,” and “Upgrade All Meters Without Delay.”

Speaking on behalf of the association, the Osun State LECAN Chairman, Prophet Michael Kayode Adebayo, decried what he termed the systemic exploitation of electricity consumers by IBEDC across the state.

“We appreciate the presence of the press today. Standing with us in this protest is standing with the masses, who continue to suffer under the weight of exploitation, harassment, and inhuman treatment at the hands of IBEDC,” he said.

Adebayo referenced the Electricity Act of 2013, which clearly outlines the roles of Distribution Companies (DISCOs), licensed contractors, and consumers. However, he accused IBEDC staff of exceeding their statutory roles, taking on duties meant for licensed contractors and using them to exploit residents.

“We are now at the mercy of IBEDC workers just to get a meter—a responsibility that should fall within the purview of licensed contractors. These workers have instead erected barriers, imposing outrageous conditions and fees on customers,” he lamented.

He further alleged that new customers are often charged up to N100,000 in unexplained debts before being connected to the grid.

“These fictitious debts are transferred to customers’ prepaid meters, forcing them to pay for electricity they never consumed.

“Faulty prepaid meters are not replaced by IBEDC. Instead, customers are compelled to purchase new ones or face being placed on estimated billing, which often results in crippling debts.

“Customers who submitted their meter cards for upgrades are yet to have them returned—a practice that is both illegal and exploitative.

“The ‘Band A’ electricity classification system introduced by IBEDC is ineffective and fraudulent,” he alleged.

Adebayo also claimed that IBEDC staff demand illegal payments before connecting new or replaced transformers to the national grid, even after residents had spent their personal funds to procure and install them.

The association thereafter issued the following demands:

1. IBEDC must cease the exploitation of innocent customers, particularly during this period of economic hardship.
2. All fraudulent charges and debts for unrendered services must be discontinued.
3. IBEDC must restrict itself to the role defined for it by the Electricity Act and desist from impersonating licensed contractors.
4. Customers who paid for meters in 2015 and 2016 must be issued the appropriate equipment without further delay.
5. There must be an end to what the association described as “rascality” among IBEDC staff and management.

In a separate interview with our correspondent, Deacon Oyedokun Victor and Mr Kayode Ogungbile expressed frustration over what they described as the deliberate hardship inflicted on customers by IBEDC.

They bemoaned the excessive delays in obtaining prepaid meters, which often take several months, despite the process being expected to last only a few weeks. According to them, even after procuring a meter, customers still wait endlessly for IBEDC to generate activation codes.

“This is unprofessional and unacceptable. It subjects citizens, especially in Osogbo and its environs, to unnecessary stress and economic hardship,” they said.

They called on the government to urgently intervene and resolve the persistent issues surrounding meter acquisition, code generation, and what they described as the fraudulent practices of IBEDC.

They warned that failure to address these grievances might trigger serious unrest and a potential breakdown of law and order between frustrated customers and IBEDC officials.