Ikeja Electric Staff extort us –Residents cry out
By Lukeman Jika
The Managing Director of Ikeja Electric, (IE) has been asked to save residents of Ikeja and Mende area from criminal extortion by the staff.
In a protest letter sent to the Managing Director, Engr Abiodun Ajifowobaje, the residents complain that Staff of Ikeja Electric extort energy users daily by disconnecting their light only to demand kickbacks from the residents.
The letter signed under the umbrella of Ikeja Electric Consumers Association, (IECO) and signed by Chief Obiozo Nnamani and Mrs Aisha Kudu-Ahmed said staff of the corporation have turned themselves into a cartel that rip off residents on the flimsiest excuses.
“They have devised a new criminal tactics. They will bring a huge bill of about 30,000 for a two bedroom flat. They know the resident will complain. They will disconnect the light.. They will then ask the tenant to go and pay the exorbitant fees. Before reconnection, they will collect not less than 5000 (five thousand Naira) that has no receipt”, Nnamani said. He lamented that complaints sent to regional offices were met with verbal attacks, insults and threats.
“This is an extremely bad work ethics. These field officers behave as if they are common criminals. Electricity consumers are not seen as human beings. They are treated like animals. How on earth can you expect your company to grow when you have no respect to your end users.” He wrote in the letters copies of which were made available to journalists.
He said residents decided to form a new organisation, IECO with the hope of presenting a common front. “Every weekend is like a bazaar for IE field staff. These days, they do not even bring the bills. They will disconnect your light. They will insist they had brought the bill which is not true. They will not do anything until they have taken between two to ten thousand from the residents. Sometimes they ask people to contribute money in bulk which they collect from them”
He said the attitude of the staff has produced a new class of electricity users who will never pay the required bill but would prefer to bribe the IEC staffers.
“The staff are behaving as if they want to destroy the company. This was the same way NEPA and NITEL started and they ended up being ruined partly by their attitude to the public. We urge you the MD to think about the future of your company in a competitive world and treat consumers with some dignity, respect and administrative discipline. It is wrong to be collecting bribe from electricity consumers, the same money expected to go into the pocket of the company.”

This must be an old story. They changed MD over 2 years now.