NANS protests epileptic power supply in Osun

By Ismail Azeez

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D has staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday to decry the persistent epileptic power supply affecting the region and the country at large.

The demonstrators marched through major areas of Osogbo, including the November 24 Bridge, Ogo-Oluwa, Aregbe, Olaiya, and MDS, before concluding the rally at the office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

Protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as "End Power Failure in the South-West," "Stable Electricity is Our Right," and "No More Darkness in Our Campuses."

Comrade Josiah Adeyemo, Coordinator of NANS Southwest Zone D, stated that the worsening electricity situation has become unbearable for students.
He noted that despite previous press conferences raising concerns about the impact of outages on academic and social activities, no tangible improvements have been recorded.

"You cannot expect our students to thrive in darkness. Electricity is a basic need for successful academic activity. We have decided to take to the streets to let the world know we are agitating for the whole of society. While we are not anti-government, we plead with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to look into this matter. This is just a preamble; if our concerns are not addressed, we will be forced to organize a more massive protest," Adeyemo said.

Adding to the call for action, the South-West Coordinator of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), Comrade Ogunsola Adewale, urged the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, to address the crisis urgently.

He highlighted that the lack of lighting has led to increased instances of theft on campuses, resulting in students losing valuable property.

In response, the management of IBEDC issued a statement apologizing for the service interruptions.

The company attributed the disruptions to gas supply limitations affecting the National Grid, which have necessitated load shedding across its franchise areas.

IBEDC further assured customers that it is engaging with industry stakeholders to improve supply.