By Agency Reports
For the second time in less than five months, Residents of Oko-erin community in llorin West local government area of Kwara have been thrown into blackout following vandalism and theft of two transformers serving the community.
The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that the cables and vital components of the two transformers were carted away by unknown people less than five months after the residents of the community contributed millions of naira to repair the two transformers.
Consequently, social and economic stimulus of the affected residents are now paralysed as those using electricity for their daily livelihood now count their loses.
An elder in the community and Chairman of the defunct llorin Local Government Area, Alhaji Oba Adebayo, appealed to the state government to rescue the community by restoring electricity supply to the community.
He said more than 10,000 residents are begging the government to repair two transformers vandalised by unknown persons.
NAN recalls that Okoerin community was first thrown into blackout since Jan. 24, following vandalism and theft of some component items in the two transformers serving the area.
The money contributed by the residents was used to purchased cables and other vandalized components of the two transformers before it was looted again on Aug 20 by yet to be identified people.
Adebayo explained that the community had held series of meetings and consultations on how to solve the problem which had crippled socio-economic activities of the residents.
“In fact, some of the residents of the area who are tenants and needed electricity for their daily jobs have relocated from the community as a result of this problem,” he said.
Adebayo added that the community had sent a formal letter to the state governor and copied the member representing llorin Central Constituency at the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Abubakar Olawoyim-Magaji on the issue.
The community leader confirmed that some officials from the state Ministry of Energy had inspected the vandalised transformers, but that no action had been taken till now.
According to him, the residents contributed some money to repair the two transformers, but that the amount was insufficient.
Similarly, the Chairman of Mustapha Sesan street community, Alhaji Abdullahi lbrahim, said the damage done to the two transformers has adversely affected the socio-economic life of the residents.
