News
Electricity: Why rights group may sue IBEDC over illegal extortion of Consumers
A human rights group, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has been planning to drag the authority of the Ibadan Electric Distribution Company (IBEDC) to Court of law over what it termed as crazy bill, illegal extortion of consumers and poor supply of electricity to the masses under the jurisdiction of Sango Ota axis, saying that the electric distribution company had made life unbearable for the people of the area due to their poor power supply.
The group also alleged that majority of the IBEDC staff have been treating their customers in the area inhumanly, instead of treating them like king, adding that the leadership of the group would not fold their arms and allow illegality to thrive in the area under the guise of providing service to the people.
Meanwhile, an IBEDC consumer, Mr. Surajudeen Adedeji had lodged a complaint at the Ikeja office of the human rights organization on the illegal action of the staff of the IBEDC (Joju office) led by Ahmed and Tunji by bringing an accumulated sum of N70, 000 on October 7th, 2019 to him, after aware that they have been using Pre-paid meter since month of April, 2019.
Refusing to pay the illegal sum of N70, 000, made the wicked IBEDC officials to disconnect his (Mr. Surajudeen Adedeji) Pre-paid meter, adding that they have been buying sum o N8, 000 electricity on monthly basis since installation of the Pre-paid meter in the month of April 2019.
Adedeji had earlier informed the management of the IBEDC through a signed written letter dated 16th of April, 2019, to its Sango-Ota Business Manager, informing him of their Pre-paid meter installation in their residence at No 24b, Alhaji Yusuf Adisa street,Ota, Ogun State, which lead to the full payment of the sum on their estimated bill in the month of April.
.According to the letter; “This is to inform the management of the IBEDC that we have commenced the use of pre-paid meter at the above address since the beginning of the month of April, 2019.Therefore, we want our bill to be henceforth stopped and we also use this medium to call your office to come and inspect of our premises for assessment.
“The outstanding balance on our last bill had been cleared by the month of April and the photocopy of the bill is hereby attached .We will appreciate your prompt and warm response to this our letter”.
Speaking on behalf of CHRSJ in a signed statement on Wednesday and copies were made available to newsmen, its Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, condemned in its entirety, the action IBEDC officials, insisting that customers were the kings to the service providers and they should be treated as such, adding that this was how electricity providers in the country have been shortchanging their
teeming customers which it could not be tolerated any more.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
Nnaemeka Ani Admonishes African Techies to Build for Legacy
Book Review of The Village Priest by Remmy Nweke @NDSF 2025
Tinubu The Audacity To Hope – Two Years After
LASG Acquires New Outboard Engines For Optimum Boat Performance
Elon Musk builds Hotel in Mars, Sets to launch soon at $5million per night – Photos
