By KUNLE KALEJAYE & NNENNA EZEAH
When the Nigeria Rural Electrification Programme was launched in 2005, the Federal Government aimed to connect about 1,500 communities to the national grid by 2007, and to achieve 85 percent electrification by 2010 (compared to 40 percent in 2005).

But more than 12 years on, many rural areas in Lagos State and other parts of the country are yet to benefit from this programme.

Rural electrification is the process of bringing electricity power to rural and remote areas.

Electricity is used not only for lighting and household purposes, but it also allows for mechanisation of many farming operations, such as threshing, milking, and hoisting grain for storage. In areas facing labour shortages, this allows for greater productivity at reduced cost.

In Lagos for instance, many communities have been deprived of electricity supply even when they have electricity poles and transformers that are used to transmit electricity.

Some communities under the Amuwo Odofin and Oriade local government areas of Lagos like  Ibasa, Ibeshe, Imare, Imase, Igbo 1, Igbo 2, Ikare, Yagbe, lament of marginalistion as far as electricity supply is concerned.

Chief N.A Buraimoh, from Ibasa Ijegun community who spoke to Vanguard, said Ibasa and 17 other communities are experiencing the same fate in electricity supply.

“For the past four years, we have not seen power supply from the government. But we were informed that the power line that supplies our communities’ electricity was cut-off by a ship crossing the river at the Mile 2 Jetty. That was what resulted into the problem we have with regard to electricity supply.”

“We have contributed money for the problem to be solved, but nothing has come out of it,” he added.

Besides, he explained that the land owner, where a pole is supposed to be mounted for the connection of electricity, requested that she be paid some money amounting to millions of naira in order to allow the community to have access to electricity.

As a result, he said the communities sent a delegation to the Lagos State Government, but nothing has come out it, as yet.

“So, we all make use of generators if we want light, and the most annoying part of it is that we have to cross over to the other side of the river to buy fuel for our generators.”

Vanguard also visited some of the riverine areas in Lagos state that don’t have access to power supply.

Our correspondents also gathered that the Ojota community in Oto Awori Local Government since its creation have not had access to power supply.

The Traditional ruler of the community, Oba Aamisu Hassan, who spoke in local dialect (Yoruba), said the community has never haad electricity from either the state or federal government since its creation.

“I cannot say for sure when this town was created because to get the precise date will mean that I have to go and ask my fore fathers that are late. Although we were given a community generator by former Senator Ojelabi, who is currently the Commissioner of Rural Development in Lagos, and he promised us that we will have power supply.”

He noted that through the rural development scheme under the Lagos state government; their community was able to have solar street lights.

Similarly, other riverine communities like Itogbesa, Erekun, Okonudu, Ebode, Ponponkun, all under the Ojo Local Government Area have been supplied with electricity poles and transformers, but still do not have access to the scarce product.

These communities have been deprived of access to basic social amenities and the dividend of democracy, and unless the situation changed rapidly, they will continue to feel the anguish of maintaining and fueling their generators especially with the recent increases in fuel price, bearing in mind that their main occupation is fishing and farming.