The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, on Monday, instructed the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and similar entities nationwide that communities should not be forced to procure transformers, cables, and poles.
Adelabu underscored that providing transformers, poles, and cables falls under the purview of electricity distribution companies within their designated regions.
He cautioned against President Bola Tinubu’s disapproval of communities being coerced into buying such essential infrastructure.
During a recent visit to the IBEDC office in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the minister asserted that the current administration adamantly opposes situations where communities bear the financial burden of acquiring transformers, poles, and cables.
Adelabu urged Nigerians to resist paying for inadequate services and stressed that ensuring a consistent and reliable power supply remains a top priority.
He stated, “Distribution companies must supply transformers, cables, and poles to communities to enhance power supply.
“The practice of communities independently purchasing these items must cease. As a minister, I don’t want reports of communities being compelled to procure electric infrastructure. If consumers are paying for electricity, distribution companies must fulfill their responsibility in providing these essentials.”
Adelabu further called for heightened effectiveness in addressing customer complaints, emphasizing the government’s commitment to improving power supply.
He reiterated the government’s disapproval of communities independently purchasing transformers, cables, and poles, citing successful interventions in places like Kaduna.
The minister concluded by affirming that service to the public remains a paramount responsibility in line with the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari.