It was jubilation galore in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State following the donation of multi-million Naira electrical materials by Dangote Cement, Ibese plant to end over 3 years’ total blackout and get 21 communities affected by a prolonged power outage reconnected.
In an unprecedented Social Investment gesture, management of the Ibese Cement plant moved to support the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) with all the items needed to reconnect the communities back to the national grid out of empathy for the affected communities.
Traditional rulers from the affected towns were full of praises to the Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc, Aliko Dangote for approving over N100million to procure the needed electrical items as they took delivery and in turn handed over to the IBEDC officials.
Lauding the rare gesture by Dangote Cement Ibese Plant to intervene for the second time by providing the electrical items, the community leaders enjoined the IBEDC to deliver speedily on the light reconnection, in view of the plant’s donation. Pressured by the communities’ leaders, the IBEDC assured that it would complete the reconnection of all the affected communities within four to six weeks from the hand-over date.
Speaking while handing over the electrical materials within the premises of Ibese Police Station, Ibese Plant Director, Roy Uttam said the donation was part of efforts made by the cement plant management to halt the prolonged blackout in the affected towns and villages, and advised the people to ensure the electrical installations are protected.
Uttam pointed out that the Plant management had invested millions of Naira to purchase the electrical materials in the spirit of good neighbourliness. He said, “Otherwise it should be the job of the IBEDC to provide the materials as a business venture that would be collecting money from the customers after reconnecting them.”
“The management of Dangote Cement Plc is donating the electrical materials to close out the lingering power outage in the affected communities which have been in darkness for years due to vandalisation of cables and other installations by unscrupulous elements”, he added.
The Ibese Plant Director further explained that the decision to intervene was borne out of genuine care for the people and the desire to help mitigate the negative impact of the outage on socio-economic activities of the people. He reiterated the cement company’s commitment to the sustainable development of its host communities and continued collaboration on initiatives geared towards the general wellbeing of the people.
“We cherish living happily with our communities,” he said.
One after another, traditional rulers from the affected communities eulogised the Dangote Cement Ibese plant management for their efforts to ensure that all the electrical materials were finally procured and donated to the people just as they had promised.
Olu of Imasayi, Oba Lukman Kuoye described the material donation as the result of some positive engagements the management of Ibese Plant had with various interest groups especially the communities and the IBEDC on the way out of the protracted blackout.
“We thank God it is a reality today that we are on the way to getting reconnected to national grid after over three years in darkness. We want to thank Dangote Cement Ibese Plant for this development. We are not taking this for granted.
“Dangote Cement is the only transformer that is illuminating the Yewa communities and Ogun State in general with its CSR projects. The management did not even consider the IBEDC’s inertia but still went ahead to donate materials that are supposed to be provided by the distribution company”, he enthused.
In his own remark, the Aboro of Ibeseland, Oba Rotimi Mulero thanked Dangote Cement and the Chairman, Aliko Dangote for always rising to the task of helping the communities, saying the provision of the electrical materials would go a long way to further cement the existing cordial relationship between the company and the communities.
The monarch promised that the communities would do everything possible to ensure the protection of the electricity infrastructure when installed and warned that the people would not take kindly with vandals any longer.
Member representing the Communities at the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Adegoke Adeyanju expressed the constituents’ appreciation and that of Ogun State House of Assembly to the management of Dangote Cement for assisting the people to address the lingering blackout in the communities.
Said he; “I will take this back to the Speaker and other House members that Dangote has done as it has promised since we have invited them on this before. We thank you, and let me also assure you that we will make sure that IBEDC plays its own part to give our people electricity.”
The executive members of Ogun West District of National Youth Council, who witnessed the donation of the materials, hailed Dangote Cement for bailing out the communities. The Executives then presented letter of appreciation to the management of the cement Plant for the good gesture.
President of the Youth Council for Ogun West, Kehinde Damilola, recalled how the Council members had planned to protest to the office of IBEDC over the persistent blackout but had to soft-pedal following promises by Dangote Cement that it would help provide materials.
Receiving the materials on behalf of the management of IBEDC, Technical Engineer for the Sango Business Hub, Engr. Ayodeji Taiwo, thanked Dangote for the provisions. He assured the gathered stakeholders of speedy action by the electricity distribution company to facilitate quick reconnection of the communities within timelines.
