ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO BADAGRY HINTERLANDS: LASG PLEADS FOR PATIENCE

… Says 16 years of darkness would soon be over

Lagos State Government has revealed that supply of electricity to some hinterlands in Badagry West Local Council Development Area of the State will soon be restored, saying some setback was experienced in connecting the areas to the national grid.

 

The State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Wale Oluwo made the disclosure at the weekend during an interactive session with community leaders, youths and relevant stakeholders on the Gbaji-Seme community electrification project at Suntan Beach, Badagry.

 

The Commissioner explained that the State government has resolved to provide a more reliable electricity supply for the affected communities and Badagry town as a whole.

 

Oluwo said that the interactive session was conceived by the State Government to intimate the concerned stakeholders of circumstances beyond the control of the State Government that affected the whole electrification process.

 

He assured the stakeholders that none of the thirty communities already identified for the electrification exercise would be left unattended to, adding that efforts would be made to include other communities not already captured in the exercise.

 

While stressing that upon completion, efforts would be made to prevail on the Federal government to complete its part of the electrification process, Oluwo maintained that the contractor handling the segment of the exercise that is within the purview of the State Government has assured that the entire exercise would be completed by the end of February.

 

In his words, “This electrification project including the erection of poles, installation of transformers among others within the control of the State Government would be completed in two weeks time after which we would prevail on the federal government to complete the process of connecting the entire Badagry town to a more reliable power source through the National Integrated Power Project, NIPP, Agbara”.

In her remarks, the General Manager of Lagos State Electricity Board, Engr. Ibilola Kasunmu pleaded for more understanding from members of the affected communities, saying that the State government is desirous of facilitating the quick completion of the electrification project.

 

“We acknowledge the patience already demonstrated by all the stakeholders in this project but I just want to encourage you to be more patient because restoring what has been bad in sixteen years within a very short time can be more difficult than one could ever imagine”, the General Manager added.

 

She urged residents of Gbaji-Seme community to explore every communication channel to keep the State government informed if any anomaly is noticed about the project.

 

Also speaking at the event, the Alapa of Apa Kingdom, Oba Oyekan Ajose and the Olologbade of Kweme Kingdom, Oba Sejiro Olalekan James unanimously acknowledged the intervention of the State government in the rural electrification of the area.

 

The traditional rulers maintained that the interactive session organized by the State government to brief the community leaders and other stakeholders in Badagry-West shows that the Governor holds residents of the affected areas in high esteem considering the several years of neglect without respite from any government.