The Oyo State Secretariat and some communities in Ibadan, the state capital, have been thrown into total darkness due to a power outage.

In the past week, the communities have been without electricity supply, thereby paralysing activities in many of the government offices.

Mostly affected were offices of the state commissioners, permanent secretaries, ministries, departments and parastatal agencies within the secretariat complex.

A correspondent who went round the affected areas on Wednesday gathered that only those offices that could afford to put on their generators had electricity supply.

Some workers who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk said the situation had been worrisome for some time now.

They said only those offices that were connected to the generator in the governor’s office were enjoying electricity supply to work, including the Ministry of Finance.

Another official said her ministry had been operating on a generator, which they put on only whenever they have important work to do or meetings.

“We learnt that there was a technical glitch, hence, the sustained power outage for days now.

“Only those connected to the governor’s office have light because there is a generator that supplies electricity,” an official said.

Meanwhile, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), in a statement by the Ibadan region, had earlier issued a notice of power outage, stating that it would affect some communities due to a technical fault on the Agodi 33KVA Feeder.

According to the notice, customers in New and Old Bodija, Yemetu, Awolowo Area, Mokola Area, Coca-Cola, Bashorun, Igosun Area, Oje, Iwo Road, Humuani Alaga, NTA, BCOS, Yidi Area, Salvation Army, Ekotedo, UCH, Oyo State Secretariat and Oyo State Government House experience power outage.

“Our technical team is working to ensure the power supply is restored. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience,” the notice read. 

(NAN)