OWN UP TO YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES OVER OONI LAYOUT FIRE INCIDENT, OODUA FM TELLS IBEDC.

May 22, 2018

The Management of Oodua 90.9 FM, at Ajebandele area of Ile Ife has denounced a report credited to the IBEDC in which the electrical company denied responsibly for the Ooni Layout fire incident.

The radio station is among those houses affected by the power surge of Sunday 13th May, in which several equipment and electrical appliances were razed. Many prepaid meters belonging to customers residing in the Ooni Layout, Ibadan road, also went up in smoke.

The affected residents had petitioned the electrical company, claiming compensation for the damage arising from the high voltage.

In a statement by the IBEDC, the company claimed that the fire incident was as a result of faults not reported to the officials of the company by the residents, saying the fire incident would have been prevented if fault noticed on the lines in the area by the residents had been reported.

But in a statement signed by the General Manager of Oodua FM, Mr. Babs Daramola, the station said it was not only surprised but highly disappointed that the IBEDC could shy away from its own responsibilities by claiming that faults were not reported to it by its customers in the area. Mr Daramola said no fewer than three letters were sent from his own office to the electrical company, duly informing it of hight voltage to the station.

"Within the last few months, we have written no fewer than three strongly worded letters to the IBEDC to complain of high voltage to our station, pleading with them to come and rectify the fault. And every instance, receipt of our letters were duly acknowledged by the authorities. This is in spite of several telephone calls made to them." Daramola said.

The Oodua FM General Manager said in all the instances, IBEDC officials never came to rectify the fault, even despite stating in the letters that the station's equipment were badly affected.

Daramola described as unfortunate IBEDC's shifting of blame over what happened on Sunday, saying the company should own up to its own responsibilities. "IBEDC should stop this buck- passing and own up to its responsibilities. We have ample evidence that faults had been reported. They were simply lackadaisical and nonchalant about our complaints."

The General Manager stated that the power surge of last Sunday wrecked untold havoc on the station destroying its entire transmission equipment and disrupting the station's operations for days. He explained that the management of the radio station had already written a letter to the IBEDC requesting compensation for expenses which the station incured as a result of the damage, which is estimated at over N11m.

He stated the station would have no choice than to seek redress in the court of law if the electrical company fails to take responsibility for its own inactions.

Daramola urged the authorities of IBEDC to live up to its responsibilities and stop playing games with the lives of its customers.