A member of the House of Representatives, Akin Alabi has revealed how a community forfeited an electricity transformer over demand by the youths of the community to be “settled” before the transformer could be delivered.
Alabi, who is representing Egbeda/Ona Ara Federal constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives while sharing his experience on Twitter said he instructed that the transformer be taken to another community in the constituency which also requested for it.
“I bought a transformer for a community that requested for it in my constituency. When the delivery people got there, the “youths” there said they must “settle” boys before they drop it. They called me and I told them to take it to another community that asked as well. Their loss, ” he tweeted.
I bought a transformer for a community that requested for it in my constituency. When the delivery people got there, the “youths” there said they must “settle” boys before they drop it. They called me and I told them to take it to another community that asked as well. Their loss.
— Oloye Akin Alabi (@akinalabi) September 13, 2019
Was his action justifiable?
Following his tweet, some Twitter users also shared their encounters with people over the act of demanding before getting things of public interest done.
I remember negotiating with a community in the lekki axis on behalf of a client who owned a factory and wanted to build a proper road from his factory to the Lekki expressway. The Baale demanded we pay 12M for the privilege, mind you the existing road was untarred w/out gutters
— Arthur (@KingArthur9ja) September 13, 2019
https://twitter.com/Quantizekay/status/1172537613678469122?s=20
It’s the same with some estates in Lekki. If you buy a big generator or are carrying new furniture that’s big, the agbero boys will asked to be settled before they let the moving truck pass. I mean what’s the settlement for? Right of passage? Is it kings landing?#zenmagazine
— Zen Magazine (@zenmagafrica) September 13, 2019
Ameachi did a similar thing in Rivers. This time with road. The road passed through a community that demanded money, Ameachi asked the contractors to skip the community and continue elsewhere.
— Cool Flame (@LongeSegun) September 13, 2019
Abeeb Alawiye formerly works with The ICIR as a Reporter/Social Media officer. Now work as a Senior Journalist with BBC News Yoruba. You can shoot him an email via [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @habsonfloww