Ondo youths under the aegis of Ilaje Advancement Forum (IAF) have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal and Ondo State governments to shut down the power plants in the state. This was contained in the press statement made available to journalists in Akure yesterday by the Chairman, Omomoluwa Ige, the Publicity Secretary, Ehinmowo Tokunbo and the PRO, Daudu Olawajuwon, giving 14 days warning for the mass action.

According to them, the action is consequent upon previous warnings given by the Ondo South Senatorial district people to declare a total shut down of the 335MW Omotosho Power Plant slated for September 1, 2018, over 10 years power outage. “It is most unfortunate that we continue to live in perpetual darkness despite having Omotosho Electric Energy Company Limited, Power Plants Phase 1 and Niger Delta Power Holding Plants, Phase 2 in Ondo South Senatorial District.”

IAF led a group of other sister organisations, numbering about 36, to mobilize the residents of the district to block the Benin-Ore-Lagos Expressway on August 1, 2018, giving 14 days ultimatum to fix the electricity in the four councils affected by the blackout. They lamented that the plants are supplying electricity to Ogun, Edo, Lagos states, Ondo North and Ondo Central districts while the South District that hosts the facilities is in darkness.

“The general public is hereby informed that we shall proceed to paralyse activities at these two major power facilities in Ondo South from September 17th, 2018. Management and Staff are hereby advised to stay at home from the said date to avoid being caught up in the web of the movement.”

It urged the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), the state and Federal governments to desist from using security operatives to scuttle the movement. “Any attempt to use security operatives to scuttle the movement will be met with stiff resistance which will have a consequential effect capable of engulfing the volatile Niger Delta region in turmoil. A stitch in time saves nine.”

•Sourced from a Guardian report