Blackout looms as Oyo government and IBEDC fight dirty over N450m debt

Lingering controversy between Oyo State government and Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) took a sharp turn on Wednesday as the government sealed off some offices belonging to the electricity distribution company.

The state government took the decision on Wednesday over alleged disconnection of secretariat by agents of the IBEDC.

The state government reportedly sealed the offices through the Oyo State Bureau of Internal Revenue Service.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue Service was at the offices of IBEDC to seal them on Wednesday.

The state Bureau of Internal Revenue Service while sealing the IBEDC offices claimed that it took the decision over the non-payment of accumulated tax.

An IBEDC office put under lock by agents of Oyo State Government

However, IBEDC in a swift reaction said the state government sealed its offices because the company disconnected Oyo State government secretariat over unpaid power tariff

It said the state government is owing the company the sum of N450 million, while it described the action of the state government of sealing its offices as illegal.

Chief Operating Officer of IBEDC, John Ayodele, in a statement seen by Business Metrics on Wednesday, insisted that the state government owed the company a consumption outstanding fee of N450 million for over a period of three years.

Ayodele explained that the company as part of efforts to get outstanding monies paid initiated several engagements through correspondences and physical meetings.

He regretted that all the efforts made by the company to get the outstanding debt from the state government yielded no result.

He said the sealing off of IBEDC offices was not done in good faith.

He added that it was worrisome that the state government sealed the offices without making attempts to pay the outstanding debt.

He said there is no other choice than to disconnect the government secretariat because the state government was not ready to pay the outstanding debt.

Ayodele said, “Oyo State Government is owing IBEDC a whopping consumption outstanding of 450 Million Naira for over a period of three years.

“The company as part of efforts to get the outstanding money paid initiated several engagements through correspondences and physical meetings, but all these efforts yielded no result.

“No business in this country can run successfully with such a huge outstanding, the power we distribute to customers must be accounted for and paid for, we have no choice but to disconnect the Oyo State Secretariat, so it is worrisome to see that the government has sealed off our offices with this underhand and arm twisting tactics, instead of paying the debt owed.

“This was not done in good faith and it would have a damaging effect on the business and service delivery to our customers.”

Meanwhile Oyo residents have expressed that the ripple of the controversy could lead to blackout if the matter is not resolved quickly.