POWER (ELECTRICITY) OUTAGE IN IWOROKO
EKITI, EKITI STATE - A show of Negligence and wickedness.

.Your Excellency,
Almost one in four people live without power worldwide. Without electricity, these people are
at a disadvantage in nearly every aspect of their lives. Having electricity means the ability to study at night and get an education. It means the difference between subsistence farming and
back – breaking labour, and having technology to create large enough crop yields to make a living.It allows people to have and power cell phones, which are being used across the developing world for mobile banking and to access the
Internet. In fact, a recent Time article suggest
lack of electricity or power is one of the largest
barriers to overcoming poverty. According to the
article, “as long as those hundreds of millions
remain in the dark, they will remain poor” and yet
bringing electricity to areas that have none lacks
global funding and attention.
.
Access to electricity is a key stepping stone in
overcoming poverty in rural communities.
However, it can only be realized if governments
take a risk to fund and distribute electricity
among the dark areas. Without taking the risk of
providing access to electricity, these
communities will continue to live in dark and
poverty. We want to appeal to the Governor of
Ekiti State again after several letters to your
office on this Electricity palaver and to remind
you of the promises you made on October 16,
2014 during your inauguration. Your promises “I
promises to anchor my developmental strides
with the promotion of five cardinal programmes
listed as follows: Empowerment, Agriculture,
Science and Technology, Health and Security”
this was arrived at through a wide consultations
with the people in various communities” your
words were few but meaningful, (An empty drum
makes the loudest noise). You administration
started and we are all happy for having the “Ore
mekunu” - friend of the common man”, how do
we talk about achieving all the promises above
without stable Electricity.
.
The Governor Ayodele
Fayose we know you are a good man; we want
to accept that this never got to your table. We
have given the Government enough time, we
have sent letters, we have protested peacefully,
but our voices were unheard. We are writing on
behalf of the Nigerian Students and residence of
Iworoko Ekiti again to bring your attention to the
Power (electricity) menace we are facing at our
“Alternative Student Residential Area” for over
Eight ( Months. We will no longer demonstrate
our grievances through with our pen any longer
or through the media; we are now ready to take
to the street of Ado Ekiti and ready to grind all
activities of the state capital if we do not get
prompt and positive reply from the Mr. Governor.
.
Last week Wednesday, the Federation of the
Ekiti State Student Union took to the street on
the increment in the fees of the higher
institutions of learning, couple with lack of
electricity in student residential areas, our
question to the Governor, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti,
Deputy Governor, the Speaker and the Deputy
Speaker, Commissioners, Directors, the Local
Government Chairmen, Permanent Secretaries is:
how much work can you do in darkness, how
long can you achieve in darkness? The Nigerian
Students has been in proper darkness since
February till date and still counting, and we have
been cool all this while to give room for some
other economic challenges can be attended to,
we are not just been considered at all.
Our Roles so far:
On several occasions, have we gone to the Benin
Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) office
(Ado Ekiti) to complain to help resolve the issue
but nothing was done. The citizens had also
contributed money on several occasions (at the
suggestion of BEDC) and the money was taken
to the Palace of Alaworoko to take to BEDC with
the promise to help fix Electricity problem as
soon as we contribute the money. We were
asked to contribute Three Thousand Naira (N3,
000.00) per house/hostel in a town where we
have over 700 houses amounting to over N2, 100,
00.00 and yet nothing has been done. All the
contributions were taken to the Palace of
Alaworoko, We have not had anything from the
Alaworoko and BEDC since then, maybe it is
because there is provision for solar electricity
supply and Generating sets in the Palace of
Alaworoko.
.
Consequences/Impact on Life:
.
The lack of electricity has greatly increased the
menace of the petty robbery at night due to the
shear darkness and the heavy noise of power
generators used by some residents. The
darkness encourages pocket picking and such as
they could easily roam the streets at night. In
fact, the lack of power is also making it almost
impossible for students of this area to have
enough study time after school. Not to talk of
having access to educative technologies such as
computers and television. The lack of power is
also worsening the poverty level of the people
living in this area as they are forced to spend all
their hard earned income to purchase petrol and
kerosene needed for daily living, not living the
effect on petty trades such as hairdressing shops
and saloons.
.
The market women also experience
this worst situation as there are no ways for
refrigeration storage of perishable goods. The
situation is worst and we call on the government
and private individuals to come to our aid.
.
Our Concern:
As proud citizens of Ekiti State. We have a solid
memory of how things were in the past. I
remember vividly a time when basic needs of life
such as power, water, and health care could be
easily accessed by anyone who desires. I also
remember times when at least power outages
were on rotational basis and people understood
when to expect power and planned accordingly.
.
However, I do not remember a time where any
part of Iworoko was without electricity for 2
months at a time, not to talk of 8 months and
counting. I do not remember NEPA (as the
power utility company was then known) officials
demanding money from citizens on the promise
of fixing power and yet not holding to their
promise. I do not remember citizens of my state
and hometown having to worry about Power
outage. We want to let it known to the BEDC
that the students' union will no longer take it
lightly with them and personals who should be up
and doing in the supply of electricity in the
students’ residential areas.
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Why a letter to your Excellency?
.
We have followed your indisputable love for our
state, "The Fountain of Knowledge, and “The
land of honour”, Ekiti State. I’ve also
been following all your efforts at making our
state one to be reckoned with in Nigeria, and
Africa as a continent. You have focused on
massive projects such as roads, education, and
health care, and improving the wellbeing of the
people of the state which ranged from “your
Stomach Infrastructure Policy” but none of the
projects you have done and are still doing will be
deemed successful if the citizens are not able to
enjoy the basic needs of life such as electricity
and water. We are aware of the love you have
for us as students in prevailing on issues that
has been elongating our stay on campus by
reducing our fees and by accepting our two term
school fee payment. This gesture cannot be
forgotten, the people and students voted in mass
for you not because we want the governor to
provide everything for us or give us handouts
(for Students), but because we believe you could
improve the basic need of the society as enjoyed
by cities across Ghana, South Africa, and other
cities of the world.
In the name of our state “Ekiti State” the
"Fountain of Knowledge "and “Land
of Honour”, in the spirit of the foundation of your
party the “The People’s Democratic party”, in the
name of all the pacesetters of Ekiti state and
Nigeria as a country, and in the humble name of
all the residence of Iworoko Ekiti, and other
towns were we have power outage, we are
appealing to you sir! We are appealing to you to
intervene. Help hold the BEDC in Ekiti State
accountable. Help restore the transformers to
there working condition! Help save our kids,
lives and our livelihood! Help save our city an
our help save our future.
.
Yours sincerely,
Oladimeji Ibrahim Bayo
Ekiti State University Student Union President.