The Oyo State Government has sealed off offices of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) after they disconnected electricity supply to the State Secretariat which also houses the Governor’s Office.
The management of the electricity distribution company said the state owes it N450 million and it disconnected supply to the State Secretariat over its failure to pay.
It, however, the state government, through its officials, retaliated by sealing its offices over some contrived debts.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the IBEDC Chief Operating Officer, John Ayodele, on Wednesday.
The company said the state government claimed IBEDC is owing revenue bills and personal income hence the action, but Ayodele said this claim is quite suspicious.
He said the company, as part of efforts to get the outstanding paid, initiated several engagements through correspondences and physical meetings, but all these efforts yielded no positive result.
The statement reads, “The management of IBEDC hereby informs its esteemed customers of the retaliatory and illegal action of the Oyo State Government over the issue of its huge indebtedness.
“The Oyo State Government on Wednesday 9 February 2022 commenced the sealing of our offices within the state over some suddenly contrived debts labelled revenue bills and personal income without due notification.
“This issue of revenue bills and personal income arising now is quite suspicious.
“Oyo State Government is owing IBEDC a whooping consumption outstanding of N450 million for over a period of three years.
“No business in this country can run successfully with such a huge outstanding, the power we distribute to customers must be accounted for and paid for, we have no choice but to disconnect the Oyo State Secretariat, so it is worrisome to see that the government has sealed off our offices with this underhand and arm twisting tactics, instead of paying the debt owed.
“This was not done in good faith and it would have a damaging effect on the business and service delivery to our customers.”
