Electrocution: Activist Accuses IBEDC Of Negligence …Demands Compensation For Family Of The Bereaved

National Coordinator of the Electricity Consumer Protection of Nigeria, Comrade Adeola Ilori, has accused the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company staff at Joju, Sango-Ota, Ogun State of criminal negligence which led to the death of one Mr Guda.

Ilori in a letter dated 13th November 2023 and addressed to the managing director of IBEDC urged the Electricity company to ensure that compensation is paid to the family of the bereaved who was the bread winner, leaving behind a heavily pregnant woman and three kids.

Additionally, Ilori also wants the company to ensure that all the staff who failed in their duty to act promptly, which eventually led to the untimely death of Mr Guda are brought to book to serve as deterrent.

Below is the full text of the letter.

13th November, 2023

Managing Director, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Capital Building,

115 MKO Abiola Way,

Ibadan, Oyo State.

UNTIMELY DEATH OF MR. GUDA BY ELECTROCUTION DUE TO CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE OF YOUR STAFFERS AT IFO UNDERTAKEN OFFICE AND BUSINESS UNIT OFFICE AT JOJU, SANGO.

The above subject matter refers. We are informed by the family of Mr. Giwa of Olomu Road Community Ifo that on the 25th October, 2023, a low voltage wire fell down in the community, and immediately, the marketer whose phone number was available to reach, and I was contacted both on call and whatsapp messages though promised to take a step on it but failed to do anything on it till the next day when mallam Guda was going about his normal business as tipper motor boy was electrocuted while he was packing sands into his masters tipper oblivious of the presence of live wire on the heap of sand.

As the incident happened, the people of the community contacted your office at the Joju business unit sango as well as the marketer one Odetola who still failed to come around the community to verify the damage done as well as to put off the light and cut off the fell wire from the power source. It took the bravery of one of the community youth to go into the feeder pillar to remove the fuse to that particular area fell wire served before the dead body can be evacuated for burial according to his faith as a muslim.

It took Mr. Famakinde two days after the burial to visit the incident place just to see the wire and left without even a courtesy visit to the deceased family, neither a condolence to his extended hausa community nor the area who gathered to spend all expenses incurred as to his burial , report to police as well as the driver of the tipper who was detained under the pretence he did not come to report to them when your staffers failed to come and do their job before the unfortunate incident happened.

We were further informed that the wife of the deceased is heavily pregnant as of the death of her husband and her delivery date is due at 20-25 th of November 2023 and she has since been sent to their country home in the north because of the trauma with his other three children left behind. We are an organization registered for only the rights of electricity ……..

But for the protection of consumers helps on negligence and after thereto therefore we view the action of your staffers manager meuse towards the family of Mr Guda as callous, in human and retrogressive by not visiting the family or with any condolence attempt and offered to help as to the burial expenses as well as to talk about the left behind dependents welfare, especially the heavily pregnant wife and the expected baby. Bearing in mind that Mr Guda was about his daily bread chores before he met his death. Thus, the criminal negligence of your staffers and organisation.

It’s quite worrisome to us to know that an organization that prides itself as responsible to his staffers and prosecuting any misdemeanors against them by consumers can be this indifferent to an action of their staffers that led to the cutting short of life of Mr Guda, a family man with a pregnant woman without showing empathy beyond Mr Famwkinde visit to the locus incur as well as meeting the Arewa representative and later turn down their calls whenever calls are made to ask how far with the company responsibility .

In view of the above and with hindsight that you, as the MD of the organization is humane and with emotional intelligence. We made this demands interalia before further steps will be taken, which will include but are not limited to inform the relevant authorities in the power sector, hierarchy of Nigeria Police, the media, and fellow Nigerians if the demands are not met in 48 hours.

We demand that your management be led by one of your general managers make a physical condolence visit to the family of the Mr. Guda led by Mr. Babangida. That your management starts a true compensation move to adequately compensate the family, which will be routed through our office as the intervenor for the family and to see that not only promised to be done but must be seen to have been done. Even though no amount will be enough to bring back the soul of the lost one but such insulting and insentive attitude as displayed by Mr. Famakinde from Joju Business unit , Sango of your organization will not be accepted.

That your organization sees that all the field men involved in the act of 25th October 2023, be brought to book by handing them over to the police for proper investigation in their criminal negligence Act. Thanks for your usual cooperation.

Please accept our esteem warm regards.

Yours Faithfully. Adeola Samuel Ilori

( Ambassador) National Coordinator .