Omu-Aran Youths Protest Against Outrageous Electricity Billing By IBEDC.
Youths in Omu-Aran, a town in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, staged a peaceful protest on Friday over what they described as outrageous electricity bills issued by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The protesters voiced their strong disapproval of a sudden change in the community’s electricity billing classification from Band C to Band A, which they claim has resulted in unaffordable electricity charges for the month of March.
Gathering as early as 8:00 a.m. at the Bareke roundabout in the heart of the town, the demonstrators marched through major streets carrying placards and chanting protest songs. Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: *“Omu-Aran Say No to Band A,” “Mr Badmus Must Go,” “Bring Us Back to Band C,” “Revert Omu-Aran to Band C,”* and *“Omu-Aran Youths Have Spoken Loudly.”*
The youths accused Mr A.O. Badmus, the IBEDC Business Manager in the district, of being behind the controversial shift in the billing structure. They expressed concern that the decision to move Omu-Aran from Band C to Band A was both premature and unfair, especially given the community’s ongoing challenges with power supply.
“We are still struggling with irregular electricity supply. How can we be moved to Band A when we don’t even enjoy the supposed benefits of that category?” one protester asked.
The demonstrators highlighted the spike in March electricity bills, some of which ranged from ₦41,000 to ₦47,000, a stark contrast to the previous charges of between ₦10,000 and ₦15,000 under Band C.
As part of the protest, the youths marched through key locations in the town, including Olomu Market, Latinwo Market Area, the Olomu Palace, and finally the IBEDC District Office located within the Omu-Aran City Complex.
The protesters called on IBEDC to urgently reverse the decision and return the community to Band C, warning that continued neglect of their concerns could lead to further action.
So far, the IBEDC has not issued an official response to the protest.
