Power Tension Eases as IBEDC Reopens Ede Office

Power Tension Eases as IBEDC Reopens Ede Office

 

Normalcy has returned to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) office in Ede, Osun State, following a brief closure caused by public unrest over erratic power supply.

The reopening followed a mediation meeting on Tuesday between IBEDC officials, executives of the Federation of Ede Youth Development Association (FEYDA), and security agencies, aimed at easing tensions in the town.

Earlier, youths under the FEYDA umbrella had forced IBEDC staff out of the office and locked the premises, protesting prolonged and unreliable electricity supply, which had disrupted homes and local businesses.

Confirming the development, IBEDC’s Regional Head for Osun, Ifeanyi Ikeji, said the meeting provided an opportunity to explain the challenges behind the reduced supply in Ede and other towns across the company’s network.

“The situation is largely due to constraints on the national grid, which have led to lower energy allocation to distribution companies nationwide,” Ikeji said. “Our supply to customers depends directly on what we receive from the national grid.”

He noted that the shortfall had affected several towns within IBEDC’s franchise areas, including parts of Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Kwara, Ekiti, Niger, and Kogi states. He, however, assured that the company was committed to optimising available supply and improving service delivery where possible.

Ikeji also said IBEDC had agreed to maintain regular communication with FEYDA and other community stakeholders to provide timely updates on electricity supply conditions.

FEYDA leaders said their protest aimed to highlight the negative impact of unreliable power on the local economy and small businesses. A statement signed by the association’s president, Afolabi Waliu Abiola, noted that previous engagements with IBEDC had not yielded lasting improvements, prompting the temporary office shutdown.

“The decision was taken to protect residents from continued hardship while power supply remained unreliable. Businesses had suffered losses due to frequent outages,” Abiola said. He confirmed that the office was reopened following assurances from IBEDC and intervention by security agencies.