AICOM MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS PROTEST PERENNIAL POWER OUTAGES AND EXPLOITATIVE BILLING

By Chinedu Bosah

May 20 saw members of the Aboru-Ifesowapo Community Movement (AICOM) and some residents participate in a peaceful rally in Lagos against the perennial power outages and outrageous billing. Some of the complaints of the residents in the past 5 years are the load-shedding policy and the outrageous bills sent to residents. The loading-shedding policy began with 5 days on, 1 day off and was systematically reduced to 1 day on, one day off. It is never guaranteed that power will be supplied on the “ON” days and the average power supplied is 2 hours out of every 48 hours. PHCN and now the private companies have long deliberately abandoned reading of meters in order to continue to issue estimated bills as a means of exploiting the people.

As at today power situation has gone from bad to worse since the power sector was privatized in November 2013. Presently, the power generation hovers around 2000 MW as many communities have been thrown into darkness. This has sparked protest in many communities. Recently, residents of Ago Palace in Oshodi-Isolo, Agege etc. in Lagos, have staged public protests as many other communities are planning one form of resistance or the other.

The protest began at Oju-Odo with a stop-over at Akinola junction where the rally and public were addressed by various speakers. Some media organizations (Superscreen TV, Galaxy TV, Punch newspaper, Ray Power Radio, PM newspaper and the Nation newspaper) covered the protest. AICOM coordinator, Chinedu Bosah, the President of Akinola Youth, Mr. Femi Popoola, and the National Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign (ERC), HT Soweto were, among others, interviewed by journalists. The protest and interviews were well reported in the news bulletins of the Superscreen TV, Galaxy TV and Ray Power Radio.

The protest march then moved round several streets in the neighbourhood and was enthusiastically supported by the residents. It was terminated in front of Olaide Filling station.

Some of the demands are: (1) IKEDISCO should immediately end rationing of light and guarantee power supply every day; (2) the policy of fixed charge amounts to exploitation and extortion. Abrogation of N750 fixed charge; (3) for an immediate 15 hours light every day as a step towards 24 hours uninterrupted power supply; (4) IKEDISCO should install pre-paid meters to all homes/consumers to forestall estimated and outrageous bills. All meters must be properly read to ascertain the true consumption of power; (5) IKEDISCO must fix all power problems within the community and end the policy of deliberately forcing the community to fix power problems; (6) The incoming Buhari government should renationalize the power sector with democratic control by elected representatives of workers and communities/consumers as a means of forestalling corruption and mismanagement. The residents and AICOM have hereby resolved that henceforth bills will not be paid until the some of the demands are met.

Both Community Development Associations (Aboru Joint CDA and Ifesowapo Joint CDA) organized in this community have been enmeshed in unhealthy rivalry. Both CDAs used to be one before the uneven distribution of the money donated by some bourgeois politicians 2 years ago broke them into two. Since then, both leaderships have always used every opportunity to whip up sentiment against the other CDA including against local residents, most of whom were never carried along in CDA activities. These CDAs are made up of few landlords who are mostly pro-establishment and pro-ruling elite as well as having a petty bourgeois character. The criticism of both leaderships’ sectarian attitude and the demand for a united front against electricity exploitation by the AICOM has made it difficult for both leaderships to accommodate the organization.

It was the night of Tuesday May 19, 2015 that the Ifesowapo CDA pulled out of the protest march on the excuse that the AICOM had not got at least 2 policemen to protect the rally as well as ‘permission’ from the police. While the Aboru CDA has refused to lead a struggle, the Ifesowapo CDA is only playing supporting role by donating money to the women who have initiated some resistance. The Ifesowapo CDA’s cowardly excuse was that police will arrest men if they embark on protest. Hence, the AICOM went on with the planned rally/protest march.

Altogether about 50 people participated in the protest including 4 members of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM). About 2,000 copies of a DSM leaflet were circulated while 3 copies of Socialist Democracy (the paper of DSM) were sold. One commercial motorcycle rider put down his name to join the DSM.

The AICOM leadership has resolved to sustain the campaign until stable power is supplied to the community.