The communities said they were terrified by the insincerity in the billing of their customers.
Five communities in Ido Local Government area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital have jointly written the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to take their communities off their grid.
The communities said they were terrified by the insincerity in the billing of their customers.
The affected communities in a letter entitled "Letter of Disengaging our Customer Relationship with IBEDC," and jointly signed by Engineer Rasak Fabayo, Ademuyiwa Oluwole and Alhaji Ajadi Oladeji, respectively the President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Central committee of Ajibode, Apete, Awotan, Araromi, Akufo and environs Community Development Association, stressed that it would not allow any IBEDC staff within the communities to continue carrying out what it called 'criminal act'.
The letter which was copied to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Apete; Managers, IBEDC Apete and Ajibode stations as well as Dugbe Business Manager of IBEDC, alleged that IBEDC billed a house not connected to electricity N100, 000.
The communities jointly rejected the 'criminal act of issuing bills with a value well above N5,000 and N10, 000 in a month when power supply is less than an hour most days of the month'.
The Central Committee of Ajibode, Apete, Awotan, Araromi, Akufo and environs further lambasted the management of IBEDC, describing it as lacking the capacity to manage both the staff and the product being sold to customers.
It said for being marginalised in power supply by IBEDC, the communities will no longer tolerate fraudulent actions of IBEDC staff in the communities and would prefer if the organisation removed the communities from their grid.
The letter reads: "With reference to a series of letters written to your organisation about our communities being marginalised, it is obvious by your organisation's body language and non-challant attitude that it is a deliberate act to rip-off our people. We have also seen that you lack the capacity to manage both the staff and the product you are selling. May we shock you a little. Your organisation gave a bill of over N100,000 to a house that has not been electrified. Where is the place and position of integrity and value for humanity in the act of your staff in this issue?
"Therefore, in view of the above, all of us in the above communities are pleased to tell you that we are tired of your incompetence and insincerity. By this, we are no more interested in the service of your organisation known as IBEDC. You are free to take us off your grid. As from now, we will not allow any of your staff members within our communities to continue to carry out this criminal act."