LECAN protest against IBEDC over alleged exploitation of residents in Osun
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
The Licensed Electrical Contractors of Nigeria (LECAN), Osun State Chapter, on Thursday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo against what they described as exploitative practices by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
Demonstrators marched through the streets of the state capital carrying placards bearing messages such as “Enough of IBEDC Exploitation on Transformers”, “Make Meters Available for all Customers”, and “Stop Delay Account Generation.”
Speaking on behalf of the group, the state chairman of LECAN, Prophet Michael Adebayo, accused the electricity distribution company of defrauding new customers by levying a minimum debit charge of N100,000 on freshly created accounts, even before they are officially connected to the grid.
Adebayo claimed that IBEDC has been compelling customers to pay for services they never received, including mysterious debts that are reportedly tied to new prepaid meters.
He also alleged that IBEDC has failed to return meter cards submitted by customers for upgrades, especially in cases where meters became faulty due to card malfunctions, describing such actions as unlawful.
He said, “Unfortunately, IBEDC workers have taken over the responsibilities of licensed electrical contractors and have become exploiters who subject residents and customers to undue hardship.
“As ordinary citizens, we now rely entirely on the discretion of IBEDC staff to obtain a meter. These workers, who should facilitate grid connections, have instead become obstacles, imposing unreasonable demands on people who simply wish to be connected to electricity.”
Adebayo further alleged that IBEDC has created unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles just to generate customer accounts, thereby pushing innocent residents into a cycle of financial strain and frustration.
“These fabricated debts are now being transferred to customers’ prepaid meters, effectively forcing them to pay for power they never used,” he said. “Even when prepaid meters are faulty, IBEDC refuses to replace them. Instead, customers are either left in darkness or placed on estimated billing, which often results in mounting debts.”
He also stated that many customers who submitted their meter cards for upgrades have not had them returned, a practice he insisted lacks legal basis.
In response, the Senior Communication Officer for IBEDC in Osun Region, Kikelomo Owoeye, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to transparency, strong customer relations, and adherence to regulatory guidelines.
Owoeye encouraged customers to make use of IBEDC’s official communication channels to report grievances and seek clarification on any issues related to billing or service delivery.
