11 March 2014, Lagos – The general power failure being experienced particularly in Lagos area may worsen as hundreds of Egbin residents in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, yesterday, shut down the popular Egbin power plant protesting what they described as maginalisation on the part of the company.
Apart from incessant power supply, the residents agitated for return of their unused recently acquired and fenced 7.345 hectares (18.148 Acres) of land by the Thermal station.
Also, residents accused the management of the power plant for failure to embark on corporate social responsibilities in the community since 1981.
As early as 7am, the residents converged in front of the power station, with various placards, singing solidarity songs thereby preventing the workers from gaining access to their offices.
The aggrieved residents told Vanguard that their plight was worsened by the fact that their rivers were polluted by the chemicals from the power plant and their vocation as fishermen could no longer be carried out.
According to them, various steps were taken to register their plight both at state and federal levels which yielded no positive result. A resident, Razaq Oduniyi, said the development also brought water scarcity into the community forcing residents to trek a number of kilometres in search of potable water.
Reacting to the development, management of Egbin Power Plc, led by its Chief Executive Officer Mike Uzoikwe, said the distribution company was initially serving few communities until lately when it was asked to serve an additional 50 communities without provision to that effect. He, however, promised to channel residents’ plight to appropriate authorities.
– Vanguard