17 years after, Ondo communities still without access to electricity

A vast number of rural communities in the country are unreached in terms of access to electricity supply despite huge sums of money expended by various levels of governments to bring supply to these communities. The reality of this is that these projects are either abandoned or not executed and based on statistics, over 1000 rural electrification projects are abandoned in various communities across the country. ADETOLA BADEMOSI reports her assessment visits to some rural electrification projects in Ondo West and Akure.

Laje is a community in Ondo West Local Government Area, Ondo State which is about one hour drive to the heart of Ondo town. It harbours over 1000 indigenes and serves as a major town to other neighbouring villages such as Ilutuntun, Lijoka, Litaye, Ayetorogbokuta, Oja-Baale, Keseomi among others. The major road leading into the heart of Laje, although tarred, seemed worn away as a result of weather condition among other factors.

The major occupation of the indigenous occupants of Laje is farming with much focus on cocoa. One thing peculiar to this community is the huge amount of wealth realised from timber cutting, cocoa farming, plantain, cashew among other crops. This is also where the popular “Igbo Reserve” (forest reserve) is located in the state.

“You cannot imagine the amount of wealth harnessed from the “Igbo Reserve”, it is quite massive,” Opeyemi, a local guide, told Nigerian Tribune.

Despite the massive potentials embedded in this community, it is saddening to note that it is lacking basic amenities such as good roads, water and most especially, electricity. Efforts made to power the village, according to villagers, have continued to be at snail pace.

Apparently, the importance of electricity power in the society cannot be over emphasized as it is the bedrock of economic development, but this cannot be said of  Laje. The villagers lamented that lack of electricity, was a contributing factor to the underdeveloped state of the community.

Adeoye Olawale, a resident, explained that products such as cold sachet water that ordinarily would have been bought for N10 is usually sold out for twice its price. He noted that there is also a limit to the business they could venture into.

“Our businesses are affected although we are used to it, investors have never even thought of coming here to establish businesses because of electricity power and road. If you want to drink cold water you have to have your personal generator and not a generator that carries only 10 bulbs. You need a very big generator. That is when you have the grace to drink cold water. We have been on this light issue for years now. Initially, we intended to tap supply from Osun State because we share border but it was fruitless,” he said.

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in its Rural Electrification Strategy Implementation Plan (RESIP) had identified 1600 projects abandoned by contractors for over five years in various rural communities across the country. The plan, blamed the menace on inadequate funding or poor planning.

Meanwhile, Laje and Odowo with other communities were penciled down for 200 and 330KVA transformers, facilitated by the current lawmaker representing Ondo East and West in the House of Representatives, Hon. Akinlaja Joseph through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). Villagers obviously would have commenced a countdown to having electricity but never could they imagine that this would tarry years after.

Document on the list of rural electrification projects in Ondo State, obtained from the Rural Electrification agency (REA), revealed that a sum of N18,251,403.71 approximately N18.3 million was earmarked  for the procurement and installation of the transformers at Ward 2-10, Ondo State and status of project was completed.

On 9th of November, 2017, Nigerian Tribune embarked on an assessment visit to some of the project sites in Ondo West,  a task that proved rather non-feasible as the exact location of the project were not stated in the document. However, this reporter was able to locate some of the sites with the aid of a  local guide and a former councillor  popularly known as Honourable Janta, who through his contact, ascertained the location of some of the projects, part of which include Laje and Odowo.

In the course of this investigation, the projects said to have been completed in 2013 were either ongoing or not at all started. For instance, a visit to Laje revealed that the electrification network had commenced right from the Ondo State medical village, Onigbakala into Laje village but yet to be connected to the grid.

The development, the Oloja, Laje and chairman of Olojas in Ondo Kingdom East/West, Engr. Osowo Valentine Omotere, later confirmed to have been executed within 90 days.

The journey into Laje was far from smooth and as a result it took about 45minutes to finally get into the heart of the cluster of communities. On arriving in the village, our reporter observed that some transformers were newly installed with few old ones that had been there for about four years.

A transformer that caught the attention of this reporter was the one situated in Laje town. Apparently, the transformer has never been powered.

Despite the fact that the transformer has never served the purpose for which it was provided, the villagers protected the electricity power facility like their very own life and even queried any form of human advancement towards the facility secured in a perimeter fence.

The village heads comprising 28 inter-ethnic groups were however, eager to speak with this reporter on the true state of electrification in the communities. Speaking to Nigerian Tribune, the Oloja, Laje  Engr. Omotere affirmed that although the transformers were brought they were never connected because the community was yet to be connected to the grid.

Omotere, who spoke on behalf of other village heads  explained  that the electricity power  project started  between  years 1999-2000 when  former Ondo state governor Olusegun Agagu was the Minister of Aviation, but was abandoned for undisclosed reasons.

His words:”They brought us transformer years back because they said the one that was here before was small. They changed it before they started the project that came from Onigbakala. Formerly, we wanted to connect from Osun State because we share boundary, that one already came from Area 4 with three transformers, one at Area 4, one at Gbagia-Ile and one at Laje here but Laje was the terminus then. They also took the poles to Ogunkeku then but those ones were already dilapidated.

“When we saw that connecting from Osun would not be wise, we decided another project from Onigbakala and ran it through the road down here within 90 days, it was completed and we were invited for a meeting where they told us that the extension of it would continue and they started from Oja-Baale. I am sure you passed through a tripartite junction on your way here. Those are the places they took the extension to. Being the chairman, I had the opportunity to know where the electrifications stopped. Some places have been completed. It is just for them to be commissioned. The Honourable had also promised that the abandoned Odowo electrification project would be completed then, because it has been abandoned for years during Agagu’s tenure as minister.”

However, he said the electricity power projects were not encompassing as some villages under Laje were not covered in the electrification. The Oloja noted that this led to disputes with neighbouring villages who opined that the electrification project was biased.

Odowo, a community waiting in hope

Similarly, Odowo is a small community under Bagbe, Ondo West local government.  Its entrance is a small pathway wide enough for only two motorcycles to pass through at a time. The village is about thirty minutes to the main entrance with no signs of habitation except for the chirping of birds and sounds of other animals.

Taking a tour round the village with the help of a local guide, it was gathered that there were no electrification projects in the community. No transformer had been brought neither were there ongoing projects.

The village youth leader, Chief Akingbulugbe who spoke with Nigerian Tribune on the situation on excuse that the village head was away, said the proposed electrification project for the community had not commenced. According to him, the existing poles were erected during Olusegun Agagu’s tenure.

He affirmed that the lawmaker who facilitated the project had repeatedly assured that work would commence on the project but the villagers were still waiting in hope.

“You can see for yourself; they have done nothing. The last time we asked, he said work would soon commence. They have not even brought any transformer. The poles you see have been there since 2001 during Agagu’s tenure,” he said.

He averred that proper electrification needed to be done which also involved connection to the grid.

Funds hindering completion of all constituency electricity  power projects

When contacted, the facilitator of the constituency projects, Honourable  Joseph Akinlaja representing Ondo East and West in the House of Representatives, disclosed that some of the projects were awarded in 2000, adding that most of the ones awarded during the period were abandoned.

He explained that what was continued to hinder the execution of awarded projects was paucity of funds which most times were not released.

“Well let me start from the time I know I came to the National Assembly in June 2011. But some of these contracts were awarded in 2000 especially the Odowo, Bagbe , Ilunla axis, in Laje, Ogunkeku axis were awarded in 2000 and some of them after 2000. You should be able to identify the contractors from REA. You need to speak with them to have a complete story but what I know is what I am telling you. I met this project abandoned and as their representative I have to, every year, try to put some amount in the budget to be able to continue the project but in Nigeria, the bane of budget and implementation is either not released or part release of budget provision. Therefore, every year, the amount released is always insufficient to conclude the project so they always describe it as ongoing in the budget.”

The lawmaker in his explanation said the electrification network in Laje precisely was at completion stage. He affirmed that although the transformers were procured and installed but this was just a part of the total necessities to bringing electricity to the villages.

Electricity Distribution Companies’ (DisCos) unwillingness to electrify communities

He further lamented the unwillingness of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to connect the community to the grid on excuse that it was not economically viable. This, according to him, was a re-occurrence of a similar project that was completed in Ondo East, where the communities were left unconnected even four years after the process ended.  He noted that some of the poles, as a result, were already falling off.

“The struggle is on and the next phase of the struggle is how to get REA and BEDC to work together to electrify what has been completed. We went to BEDC, they said the line that passed through that place is 33KVA and that not being an industrial area, they could not connect 33KVA unless it was 11KVA. I am not the one to downgrade 33KVA to 11KVA. They believe that it will be uneconomical for them to connect them to 33KVA. That means that if there is no cooperation between REA and BEDC, it will just be there, completed and not connected.

“In Ondo East—between Bolorunduro Sasere and Kolawole villages, it has been completed for more than four years now but not electrified. Some of the poles have started falling down.”

Asked how much has so far been expended on the project, he said the project had gulped a total of N120 million.

Similarly in Odowo, he said the project was met abandoned.

“In Odowo, they have not started from where they stopped. There are provisions for Odowo in the 2017 capital project. Altogether N80 million is in the budget for the rural electrification that includes Odowo, Bagbe but they said they released only 10 percent.

“They have not even awarded the contract. I was in REA to pursue the Odowo project but they said they had not released anything even when they told us they would release 50 per cent latest by December, 2017. They said 10 per cent is what they have released to them and that is not enough for them to mobilise contractors. That is the stage we are in now,” he said.

Similarly, solar powered street lightings worth N24,992,253 were reportedly installed at Akure South Federal constituency located at Iwalewa, Alagbaka, Oba-Ile, Ayeyemi, and executed by one Electrical Solutions LTD. It was however gathered that the contractor did not mobilise to site.

At Oba-Afunbiowo Estate, an old resident who gave his name as Bolorunduro Johnson told Nigerian Tribune that since he moved into the estate, there was no power supply. Although, he noted that the then lawmaker representing the Ondo Central constituency, Senator Patrick Akinyelure tarred a section of the road in the estate which led to his former constituency office.

“All the poles you saw here were done by Ajasin during his tenure; he intended to use this estate as an industrial one. The tarred road was done by Patrick Akinyelure because he had his constituency office here. He did the borehole with solar but as you can see, it is not working again,” he said.

At Iwalewa, the only solar powered project was done by the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) executed by one Sonfem International Nigeria and facilitated by former lawmaker representing Akure North and South federal constituency, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde. He vacated office few weeks to the expiration of the 7th assembly via Supreme Court judgment for defecting from the Labour Party. The same fate befell Ayeyemi off Alagbaka road, Akure.

Also in Ijapo Housing Estate, a visit to Fagunwa where the project was purportedly sited, Nigerian Tribune could not locate the project site. During a brief interaction with residents, they maintained that no electrification project was executed on the street.

In an interaction with a resident who gave his name as Abu, he stated that although some street lighting projects were executed in some parts of the estate but were not extended to the street. Observations revealed that the available street light projects were the ones executed by the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) in 2016. The project was facilitated by Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, representing Ondo Central Senatorial district.

Reacting, the Director of Projects, Akure South Local Government, Mr Babarinde Michael, claimed ignorance of the said project stating that the FG had continued to sideline the local government authorities.

“You see REA is a Federal government agency. In fact, there is no federal agency that gives us information about ongoing projects,” he said.

However, the REA Director of Projects, Engineer Bolakale Kawu maintained that the projects in Ondo West and Akure have been completed except for situations where contractors did not mobilize to site. In the case of  Odowo and  Laje communities, he said that both were separate projects.

He argued that the projects as referred to in the document made available to Nigerian Tribune were not the Ward 2 to 10 in question. According to him, the said projects were located at Funbi Fagun and Prison roads, adding that these were the only two projects executed at the time.

In his explanation, he said although Laje project was still ongoing, it was almost completed, even as he expressed uncertainty on Odowo community. He said the community could still need to endure despite the fact that N20 million was allocated for the electrification project in the budget.

“It is a separate project; we have a project called Odowo and Laje in our place; the one you are talking about which was executed by G.Siji is just one number transformer which they have installed in the ward you are talking about. Laje should be ongoing and not completed. The one executed by G.Siji has been completed and connected. They are located in Prison road and Funbi Fagun in Ondo West. The ones under Honourable Akinlaja are not the Ward 2-10 we are talking about,” he said.

When the mentioned locations were cross checked, it was gathered that the two transformers were at the said locations, the first around Nigeria Prison road, Segede Ondo town while the second was sited at Fumbi Fagun, Ondo town.

Residents living around the area, however, complained about poor power supply and overloading of the transformer. According to them this power asset, which was brought about four years ago, serves several other locations, namely GRA, Methodist off Oke Agunla, Segede and part of Ayeyemi, all in Ondo town.

Mrs.Aina, a house wife complained that although the transformer was brought by the FG about three to four years ago, the power supply in the area was poor as a result of overloading.

Meanwhile, Engr. Kawu submitted that putting electricity network in a community does not guarantee their access to power supply as the will to electrify such communities was dependent on the electricity distribution company in charge.

He cited instances where these networks deteriorate without being utilized, a development which he described as saddening.

When contacted, the Ondo and Ekiti States’ spokesperson for the Benin Electricity Distribution Company BEDC, Kayode Brown, faulted claims that the company was not willing to connect the communities describing them as ‘potential customers.’

According to him, the ‘potential customers’ were more economically viable than existing customers who were debtors.

“How can you say that somebody that has never been hooked up is not viable? I will rather forward my energy to potential customers than those who I know are chronic debtors. These are new customers; if there is a community that has never been hooked up before, there is probability that they will be economically viable because they are new customers and are eager to be hooked up and even if they are going to default, it is not the first six months of their getting supply,” he said.

However, he explained that such community projects, upon completion, should be handed to the state’s electricity board which would then contact the BEDC for inspection.

“In the first place, the communities in question have never been hooked up. They are supposed to handover the job to the state’s electricity board so they will now write to the BEDC or any DisCo concerned, requesting electrification,” he said.

What the Rural Electrification Strategic Implementation Plan (RESIP) says

Interestingly, a business minded person would argue that it should not be an aberration for the DisCos to decide who or the locality they choose to serve as effective distribution of power is determined by returns on investment.

According to the Rural Electrification Strategic Implementation Plan (RESIP), “while it is clear that rural populations are eager to get access to electricity, it is not clear that their demand and willingness to pay for the services, as envisioned, will be forthcoming. Often rural communities believe it is the responsibility of government to provide highly subsidised infrastructure services, such as electricity.”

It also expressed alarm over the number of legacy rural electrification projects saying the projects, put at 1600 as at 2012 could be found in all the states of the federation. The report indicated that most of the projects were abandoned as a result of paucity of funds and lack of proper planning before they were awarded.

“Almost all of them are grid expansion projects, rural electrification projects. Many of them even after completion may not be put to any meaningful use as they would have no reliable source of power supply,” it partly read.

While the frustration continues, one only hopes that governments at various levels would ensure the provision of electricity.