The management of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has visited the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Dr Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin and sought his collaboration in the efforts to improve service delivery within the city and Oyo State.
During a courtesy visit to the Olubadan on Thursday, the acting Managing Director, IBEDC, Engr Francis Agoha, noted that as partners, the company is interested in ensuring adequate power supply to Ibadan residents who are part of its customers and to move the city forward.
Among the IBEDC team are the Chief Commercial Officer, Retail, Dr Ademola Adewumi; Chief Audit and Risk Officer, Olanrewaju Sadiq; Coordinating Head, Corporate Services, Angela Olarenwaju; Regional Head, Ibadan, Oluwasogo Olufayo and Lead, Media Relations, Busolami Tunwase.
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The team was received at the palace by members of the Olubadan-in-Council including: the Asipa Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi; the second assistant Secretary to the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Sulaiman Raufu, who represented the President General, CCII, Chief Sulaimon Ajeniyi Ajewole and Aremu Sumbo Owolabi Olakulehin.
Agoha said, “We are here, not for any particular reason, just to convey our felicitation to the Olubadan of Ibadan on his most recent coronation and to also identify with the palace as partners and co-partners in Ibadan being where we operate and where our headquarters is.
“We see you as our landlords and we see you as our partners also because your subjects are our customers, so, we share that together. Whatever makes our constituents happy is what we are here for.
“We are also here to listen to you in areas of collaboration, in areas of coordination, so that together we forge Ibadan as a town ahead.”
The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Dr Owolabi Olakulehin, represented by Oba Abiodun Daisi, welcomed the management of IBEDC and assured of the palace’s support and commitment to moving the city and Oyo State forward.
The Olubadan asked for the company’s help in providing adequate power supply to the palace giving its importance and the dignitaries it entertains.
He said, “We thank you for what you are doing and obviously, things are getting better now; power supply is getting better but there is still a lot of room for improvement.
“You can see the palace as it is and the facilities we have. There is no gainsaying that what we have here needs a lot of power and we are very happy to have you here.
“Once Baba (Olubadan) moved in, we realised that we are very inadequate in the aspect of power to power the facilities in the palace.
“We made efforts and we are making efforts to the government, the ministry and the governor and I believe some correspondences have exchanged hands with you too.
“You are the experts, you are the providers and you are the solution. We can think of many shortcuts or routes to get the problem solved.
“But we know that the neighbourhood the palace is located is not a highbrow neighbourhood where we know that you give priority.
“But at the same time, the palace needs priority. There are dignitaries who visit the palace every day, so we need a solution that is lasting and we want to save some money; the diesel-powered generator should be a backup, not the primary source of power.”
Responding, the MD of IBEDC assured of speedy attention to the issues raised, noting that the company will assess the possibility of connecting the palace to the closest substation with 33KVA line to guarantee a greater power supply.
He said, “We identify the edifice of this palace, the nature, its glory and what it represents. It doesn’t deserve not to have adequate supply of electricity bearing in mind the dignitaries that visit the palace.
“I got to know that the palace is on Band C feeder, which receives about 12 hours of supply a day. In fairness also, diesel is not an option with how much diesel and petrol cost.
“So, we will go back to the technical team. We need to identify the closest substation here and we can connect the palace directly to it.
“We will do our assessment of the substation, the capacity and the Right of Way where the line will follow.
“There will be a solution. It is going to involve a huge capital expenditure but I am glad to hear that you wrote a letter to the Executive Governor and he yielded, so, it won’t be a problem.”
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE