•••Transformer installed by Rep Member will not be connected
•••My efforts in the past to restore the light – Lawmaker
There’s an ongoing drama in Erinjiyan community, Esa Oke in Obokun local government over who will rescue the area from about three years darkness.
Erinjiyan community, which constitutes a substantial part of Esa Oke, the home of late Bola Ige has been in darkness for about two years following the packing off of their transformers.
InsightMedia has reported that the state government, through the Osun Agency for Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) on Friday presented a cheque of about ten million naira to the community for purchase of two 550kva transformers to replace spoilt ones.
The project was facilitated by Former Commissioner in the state, Architect Muyiwa Ige, who was also present during the presentation that was held in the community.
It was gathered that shortly after the presentation, our Correspondent visited the sites shortly after the presentation where two boards with inscription “CSDP Project Approved Site” were sighted.
However, it was gathered later after the presentation on Friday, around 2pm, the Lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Oluwole Oke brought a 500kva transformer into the area.
The facilities according to the pictures sighted by our Correspondent and information gathered, has been installed at one of the sites where the CSDP board was erected.
This is to the delight of many residents of the area, whose businesses have been impacted by the power outage. Many have taken to social media to express their happiness over the gesture of the man they tagged “performing representative”.
However, it seems this does not go down well with some members of the All Progressives Congress and supporter of the state government in the area as they believe the lawmaker shouldn’t take credit for the project.
A close associate of Muyiwa Ige said the former Commissioner was informed of the problem few months back and he contacted the Ministry of Rural Development where he was later directed to the CSDP.
According to him, Ige “ensured that all logistics are put in place and also paid the larger percentage of the 10% counterpart funds for the project. He did this out of his love for his people.
“We’re surprised that the Lawmaker who has the financial chest and is from the community has watched his Constituents languishing in darkness for that long”, he said.
In chat with our Correspondent, Hon. Oke dispelled competition rumour with the state government, describing it as “petty”. He said he has been on the matter since March this year.
The lawmaker also made available correspondences his office exchanged with the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission, NERC.
In a letter dated March 27, 2020 where the Lawmaker intimated the Commission on the power outage in the community and in Esa-Odo.
The commission in another letter to Oke on April 22, 2020 gave details of what it had done on the letter, stating that the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company said it’s suffering from paucity of funds and could not at that time procure two transformers for both Esa-Oke and Esa-Odo.
In a telephone interview with our Correspondent, the Osolo of Esa-Oke and quarter head of Erinjiyan, Chief Ojo Adebanji commended that the Lawmaker and the CSDP for coming to their aid. He said the people of the community are happy over the development.
Adebanji said Hon. Oke is their “son” and his gesture can’t be rejected. He however, said the Lawmaker broke agreement on where to put the transformer he brought.
He said, “Oke is our son and we can’t reject whatever he’s bringing to the community. But what we don’t like is that he went against our agreement. Leaders of the community have met and we gave him another place to install his transformer but he didn’t use the place.”
When asked if the money presented by the CSDP will be used for transformers, the community leaders said, “we’re still going to buy two more transformers and install them. Nothing will change that. The one installed by Oke will not be connected until others are ready.” 
