By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Ibeshe Housing Estate in Lagos, a residential project initiated under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, has been plunged into darkness due to an outstanding electricity debt of N74 million owed to Ikeja Electric (IKEDC).
The power outage, which has persisted for several weeks, has left residents grappling with the challenges of living without electricity.
Investigations reveal that the substantial debt is attributed to alleged financial mismanagement by the estate’s leadership led by Chairman Rasheed Akindiya and some officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Housing.
Residents claim that funds collected for utility payments were misappropriated, leading to the accumulation of unpaid bills.
Reports shows that residents have been paying exorbitant rates for electricity through a specific vendor, Momas and additional Non-metred areas (NMA) fees to cover unmetered areas like streetlights, water plants, sewage treatment plants among others.
The situation has sparked outrage among the estate’s inhabitants, who are demanding accountability and immediate action to restore power.
Many have resorted to using generators, incurring additional expenses in the face of rising fuel costs.
Ikeja Electric, in its 2023 annual report, highlighted challenges in debt collection, noting that unpaid bills significantly impact their operations.
The company emphasized the importance of prompt payments to ensure consistent power supply to all customers.
Meanwhile, residents are calling on the Lagos State government to intervene and address the leadership issues within the estate to prevent further deterioration of living conditions.
