Protesters lock out LG workers in Ekiti

Dapo Falade, Ado-Ekiti - 28.12.2007

OFFICIALS of Ado Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Thursday morning got more than they bargained for as residents of Igirigiri road in Odo-Ado Quarters sealed off the local government secretariat, protesting an alleged prolonged power outage that had paralysed economic and social activities in the neighbour-hood.

The placard-carrying protesters, numbering about 1,000, trooped out of their homes as early as 7.00 a.m and barricaded the Igirigiri road, which was the main access road to the council secretariat, and prevented human and vehicular traffic for over five hours.

According to an eye-witness, they were enraged by the fact that they had spent the Christmas festivities in darkness as their taps were equally dry, while the roads in the area had deteriorated, warning the relevant authorities to do something urgent before the situation got out of control.

Many residents of the 14 zones into which the area was divided bemoaned their fate, saying that they had not used electricity for over two months running. They added that the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) officials still had the audacity of bringing what they called “crazy bills” to them.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the protesters also chanted solidarity songs. The demonstrators told journalists that they had been in darkness for the last two months, a situation which had now given men of the underworld freedom to operate, expressing disgust that the authorities of the local government were planning to hold a ceremony at the council secretariat which prompted the protesters to block the entrance to the complex.

The leader, Zone 2 residents, who spoke with journalists at the scene of the protest, said the protest had no political undertone, adding that it was general consensus among all the zones that dividends of democracy had not trickled down to the residents in spite of the location of the local government secretariat.