Residents of Ilorin lament over one month blackout

From Oluseyi Dasilva, Kwara

Electricity consumers in some parts of llorin, the kwara State capital have lamented the outright power cut in their areas resulting in hardship without alternative.
The areas mostly affected which are in the llorin West Local Government Area of the state include Baboko, Alore, Adabata Pakata and Oloje among others.
Speaking on behalf of his community, Alhaji Ismail Alada, said that, the total blackout had crippled social and economic activities in affected areas.
He pleaded with the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to replace the damaged electricity power breakers in some areas in order to restore power so that business activities would continue.
Alada said that the situation was becoming unbearable for some residents as a result of power outage.
He alleged that some suspected hoodlums had taken advantage of the power outage to attack some residents and carted away their belongings.
A retired civil servant in the state, Malam Musa Yahaya, who was among the victims of attack said that the power outage had encouraged crimes in all the affected areas.
He called on the state government to urgently intervene to save the communities from total darkness and collapse of economic activities.
Yahaya also implored the management of IBEDC, to as a matter of urgency, ensure that electricity was restored to the affected communities to enhance commercial activities.
Mr Asaju Kolawole, the Regional Communication Manager of lBEDC, told our correspondent, that the company was aware of the problem.
He attributed the problem to major fault at transmission station in Sawmill area in llorin but gave an assurance that repair work had reached advance stage and that the power would soon be restored to all the affected areas.
The residents of Ilorin have therefore, made a call to the relevant authorities to look into issue of metering so that the electricity distribution and marketing companies will not shortchange them any longer.