FG, Oyo Assembly wrangles over state electricity distribution

The Federal Government and the Oyo State House of Assembly are trading blames over the current state of electricity distribution in the Ibarapa zone of Oyo State.

The State Assembly, in a motion moved at one of its sittings, urged the Federal Government to restore electricity to the Ibarapa zone.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, in the motion lamented that the people of Ibarapaland had, over the past fifteen years, endured erratic supply and, in most cases, no electricity at all.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, in a statement by his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, cautioned against the politicisation of technical challenges in the power sector.

He clarified that the transmission challenges affecting Ibarapa predate the current administration.

“These challenges were largely caused by funding shortfalls and unresolved compensation issues linked to critical infrastructure of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

He, therefore, described the politicisation of largely technical matters as regrettable and urged lawmakers to prioritise constructive engagement and collaboration between federal and state authorities to improve electricity supply in Oyo State.

“The State Assembly should focus on its constitutional responsibilities, particularly in light of recent amendments that place electricity on the Concurrent Legislative List, empowering states to generate, transmit, and distribute power within their jurisdictions.

“While several states have taken advantage of these provisions to establish independent power initiatives, Oyo State has yet to fully utilise these opportunities to complement federal efforts.”

He questioned why the Assembly failed to hold the State Government accountable for the unsuccessful Independent Power Project undertaken with Elektron Energy, despite significant public investment.

The contractor reportedly suspended services due to persistent non-payment.

He also expressed concern that the Assembly is raising these issues after nearly seven years in office and less than a year to the next general elections, describing the action as politically motivated and aimed at discrediting the Minister rather than addressing genuine service delivery concerns.

He confirmed that concrete steps are being taken to restore stable electricity supply to Ibarapaland.

The major delay in the transmission project was linked to the non-release of funds for compensation to affected landowners—an issue that arose before the current Minister assumed office.

The Ministry disclosed that contractors are currently on site to assess affected properties and commence compensation payments, thereby enabling full-scale project implementation.

“All essential equipment for the project is already in place. Previously abandoned and vandalised TCN facilities in the area are being rehabilitated, while electricity supply has been restored to Ibarapa Central after prolonged outages.

In addition, street lighting projects have been implemented in several communities to improve security and promote economic activity.”

The statement explained that last-mile electricity distribution in Oyo State, including Ibarapa, falls under the responsibility of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), which oversees feeders, transformers, metering, and billing.

The Ministry continues to engage IBEDC to enhance service delivery and address issues related to estimated billing in line with regulatory standards, as demonstrated by the Minister’s recent visit to the company.

Residents of Ibarapaland were assured that, with compensation processes underway and equipment already procured, tangible progress on the transmission project will soon result in improved power supply across the zone.