2 months ago
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The Rector of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, said the campus has been cut off from the national grid due to a faulty meter that Ikeja Electric has refused to fix.
In an interview with our correspondent, Abdul explained that the institution had written to the National Electricity Regulatory Commission but had yet to receive a response.
He reiterated, “We have a very clear situation: we’ve been cut off since May. It hasn’t been easy. The power has been disconnected since May due to a faulty meter that has not been replaced. We’ve been going back and forth with them.
“We have complained and written to NERC, but have received no response. Ikeja Electric is also unresponsive and has not replaced the meter. As a result, Yabatech has had no electricity supply since May 24. They cut us off because the metering panel was damaged, and despite our repeated appeals, no action has been taken.”
He revealed that Zenith Bank donated a better meter than the one that was damaged.
However, Ikeja disco refused to install it, insisting that the institution must pay N8m before they would proceed with the installation.
Abdul said, “They insisted that we pay N8m to purchase a new meter. Although we managed to negotiate and obtain a meter from Zenith Bank, they refused to use it, claiming it wasn’t the special meter they required.
“We provided a meter that was similar to or even better than the original one. However, as of last week, they still refused to connect us, demanding that we pay N8m for the meter they want.”
When asked how students and staff had been coping without electricity, he mentioned that the school had resorted to using generators and solar power.
“We’ve been trying to support the students by providing alternative power through generators and solar backup. That’s where we stand.
It’s not just about the money; it’s the way this situation is being handled. They treat our case as if it doesn’t matter, offering no audience or acknowledgment. It’s been extremely difficult to even get a hearing.
Ikeja Electric has provided very poor service overall,” he said.
Efforts to get Ikeja Disco to respond to this allegation proved unsuccessful, as the Public Relations Officer, Mr Kingsley Okotie, neither answered his calls nor responded to the text message sent by our correspondent.
