By Peter Omopo
Tensions flared in Osun State on Thursday as members of the Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN), Osun chapter, staged a protest against the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), accusing its staff of unethical practices and customer exploitation.
The protesters, who marched through the Osogbo/Ibokun road, carried placards with messages such as “Band is a fraud,” “Enough of IBEDC Exploitation on Transformers,” and “Make meters available to all customers,” demanding an end to what they described as oppressive practices by IBEDC officials.
Speaking to journalists, the state chairman of LECAN, Kayode Adebayo, alleged that IBEDC staff had hijacked the roles legally assigned to licensed contractors under the Electricity Act of 2013, and were now exploiting customers under the guise of service provision.
“IBEDC workers have usurped the responsibilities of licensed contractors and turned into tormentors who wickedly exploit residents and customers,” Adebayo said. “They frustrate residents seeking electricity meters, impose arbitrary charges, and turn account generation into an avenue for extortion.”
He accused the distribution company of creating new electricity accounts with hidden charges as high as N100,000, which he claimed were fraudulently transferred into customers’ prepaid meters, forcing them to pay for services they never received.
Adebayo also decried the company’s alleged failure to replace faulty meters, instead pushing customers toward estimated billing or forcing them to purchase new devices. He added that in many cases, customers who submitted their meter cards for upgrades had yet to have them returned.
The protest also targeted the controversial ‘Band A’ electricity classification, with LECAN describing it as fraudulent and ineffective.
“IBEDC staff are also extorting residents by demanding money under the pretense of helping them acquire, replace, or repair transformers,” Adebayo alleged.
The association called on the federal government, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and other relevant authorities to intervene and enforce the provisions of the Electricity Act to protect both contractors and consumers from exploitation.
