By Bilesanmi Abayomi, Temitope Soliudeen
The whereabouts of a 500KVA transformer donated to the Agboyi 1 community by the Executive Chairman of the Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have sparked mixed feelings among residents. Concerned individuals have appealed for swift action in installing the transformer or considering its redeployment to other communities in need.
The donation, which took place around five years ago, was initiated after residents of the Agboyi 1 community approached the council administration with a request to alleviate their struggle with persistent power outages. The existing transformer serving the entire community was overburdened, causing regular power supply disruptions.
According to a concerned resident of the Agboyi Ketu LCDA, Olufemi Oluyinka, the donated transformer is reportedly under the custody of the Olu of Agboyi. However, it has not been released for community use. Oluyinka pleaded with the monarch to release the transformer to address the power issues faced by the community.
Oloye Seun Oluwaseun Salami, a social commentator, commended the efforts of Mayor Dele Oshinowo, the Chairman of the LCDA, for prioritizing community welfare. Salami emphasized the importance of community engagement and ownership of such projects. He cited a similar situation in Oworonsoki, where a transformer lay abandoned for over nine years. Eventually, it was relocated to another community willing to energize it, leading to a dispute that reached the Zone 2 Police Command.
Salami encouraged all concerned stakeholders to actively support the LCDA’s commitment to resolving the transformer situation. He suggested that the community take initiative and contribute to the transformation of the abandoned asset rather than waiting for the government to take action.
In response to the controversy surrounding the transformer’s location, Ibrahim Adekunle shared an image of the transformer, stating that it is in the custody of an unidentified individual in Agboyi. He urged the Agboyi Ketu LCDA Authority to establish an investigative team, including the councilor representing the affected community and senior special assistants, to examine the status of the transformer.
Prince Ibrahim Oladega provided insights into the matter, explaining that the community’s request for a transformer was fulfilled by the LCDA. Still, logistics challenges hindered its installation, leading to the donation’s delay. The monarch of Agboyi intervened, facilitating the transportation of the transformer to the community. However, moving it from the riverbank proved to be a challenging task, taking three months.
The community representative, the councilor, was tasked with energizing the transformer, but when the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) proposed extensive requirements for energizing it, Oba Oladega, the local monarch, intervened. The monarch, with an engineer’s guidance, fixed the existing faulty transformer to restore power to the community and Subsequently recommended that the donated transformer be protected and covered for potential future use.
Agboyi 2 and 3 communities faced power supply issues for over five months, but the recently installed transformer had different location and terrain challenges.
Intriguingly, when Agboyi 2 and 3 requested the release of the uninstalled transformer to address their power needs, no response was received from Agboyi 1. They subsequently secured a newly installed transformer from another source. Nevertheless, this situation did not lead to disputes within the community according to Oloruba of Oruba.