The Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday took a firm stand against the worsening electricity crisis in Ibarapaland, adopting a motion that condemned the persistent outages and criticized the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, over what lawmakers described as gross incompetence.
The motion was moved by the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, and seconded by the member representing Ibarapa North/Central State Constituency, Hon. Peter Ojedokun.
Presenting the motion on the floor of the House, Ojedokun lamented the prolonged and recurring power outages affecting residents and businesses in Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North and Ibarapa Central Local Government Areas.
He described the situation as “unacceptable, economically damaging and socially disruptive,” noting that households and commercial activities have recorded significant losses due to unreliable electricity supply.
Ojedokun further stated that while the motion highlights nearly 15 years of chronic outages in Ibarapaland, its resolutions should also address other zones across Oyo State facing similar electricity challenges. He emphasized that the welfare of all residents must be prioritized in any federal intervention.
Lawmakers aligned with the Speaker in expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of the Federal Ministry of Power under Adelabu, accusing the ministry of failing to deliver sustainable solutions. They noted that years of ineffective policies and poor leadership have left many communities in near-total darkness.
“The incompetence of the Minister has made power supply almost nonexistent in many parts of our state,” Hon. Gbenga Oyekola said. “Families, students, traders and small businesses are bearing the brunt of this failure, and it cannot continue.”
Several members highlighted the financial strain on residents who rely on generators and other alternative power sources while still receiving inflated electricity bills for inadequate or non-existent supply. They stressed that the situation has stifled economic growth and disrupted education, particularly in rural communities.
The House consequently resolved to urge the executive arm of government, through the Oyo State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, to engage the Federal Ministry of Power and other relevant federal agencies to ensure the expedited completion and commissioning of proposed substations in Ibarapaland.
Lawmakers also called on relevant federal agencies to urgently assess, rehabilitate and upgrade transmission and distribution infrastructure serving the Ibarapa zone, including feeders and transformers, to guarantee stable and regular electricity supply.
The Assembly further urged the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to review its billing practices in the zone and across Oyo State, discontinue arbitrary and estimated billing where supply is non-existent, and ensure consumers are billed strictly for actual electricity consumed in line with existing regulations.
In addition, the House called on the Federal Government, through the National Rural Electrification Agency, to prioritize the Ibarapa zone in its rural electrification and grid expansion programmes, especially communities that have remained without power for over a decade.
The Committee on Energy was mandated to interface with relevant state and federal authorities and report back to the House within four weeks on concrete steps taken to restore stable electricity supply to Ibarapaland.
In his remarks, Speaker Ogundoyin reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to protecting the welfare of Oyo State residents, stressing that the motion and subsequent condemnations were not politically motivated but aimed at ensuring accountability and delivering sustainable solutions to a crisis that has persisted for more than a decade.
