Ajimobi commissions substation in Ibadan

Ajimobi commissions substation in Ibadan
August 3, 2015 Advocaat Law Practice

The Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has inaugurated a N150million 2×15 MVA Injection Power Substation at Akanran, in Onaran Local Government Area in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Built by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), the rehabilitated substation is a replacement for the one vandalised by protesters in 2012.

Inaugurating the substation, Ajimobi urged residents and community leaders to protect the power infrastructure and make it sustainable. He praised the management of IBEDC for the rehabilitation.

Ajimobi spoke mainly in Yoruba.

Earlier, the Chairman, IBEDC, Tunde Ayeni, represented by the Managing Director, Fortunato Leynes, assured of the readiness of the firm to provide a minimum of 18-hour power supply daily.

He said the decision by the company to rehabilitate the substation, set ablaze by some youths in 2012 in the course of the anti-subsidy protest, was a testimony to its readiness to improve the standard of life of its customers through unparalleled services.

He said: “As an organisation bound by our core values of teamwork, innovation, excellence, integrity and dependability, we are committed to building a world class utility company where performance and exceptional service delivery comes naturally.

“To transform the industry we are operating today, we need the support of the government at every level, including relevant stakeholders and especially our consumers that we seek to serve. Permit me to use this opportunity to appeal to the residents to take ownership of this installation to forestall any unfortunate recurrence. I call on all community leaders to work in partnership with IBEDC to nip vandalism in the bud. We all cannot move forward if nothing is done to stop this evil doing.”

On his part, the Deputy Managing Director of IBEDC, John Darlington, while expressing his appreciation to the stakeholders, urged its customers to pay their bills and avoid short-changing the company via bypassing prepaid metres and engaging in illegal connections.

He said: “We cannot move forward without you. We will need your support as we role out our metering scheme. As our customers, we will do everything possible to make life confortable for you.” He urged the customers to pay their bills “so we can serve you better.

He assured that IBEDC will join hands with the government and make a difference in power distribution,

Meanwhile, IBEDC has begun attitudinal reorientation of its workers as part of efforts to position the company for improved customer service.

Addressing the workers and other stakeholders at a programme organised by the company in Ibadan, Darlington, said it is only the right, skilled, committed and motivated workforce that would be able to make the company’s current journey to the promise land successful.

Quoting a former United States Defence Secretary, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld, Darlington said: “you go to war with the army you have, not army you might wish to have at a later time,” saying the statement could not be more true and precise for the journey IBEDC has just started.

“Truly, people are our greatest asset on the journey to our defined promise land. Therefore, we have no choice other than creating teams,” he added.

He said it would be a waste of time to articulate ideas about values and culture if the company does not model and reward behaviour that aligns with those goals, adding that IBEDC must reward good performance and as well sanction poor performance.

One of the resource persons at the event, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, who spoke on “Imperatives for strategic transformation from public to private enterprise,” urged the workers to create a new organisational culture.

He explained that the firm’s transformation to a private enterprise involves new rules of engagement and charged the company and its workers to map out the vision, scope and nature of transformation.

He reminded the management and workers that, “your success in life is not based on your ability to change, rather, it is based in your ability to change faster than your competition, customers, and business.”

The special guest and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, urged the workers to be guided by the company’s mission and vision.