Ekiti Communities In Darkness As Rainstorm Destroys Electric Poles

Residents of Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital and other towns in the state have been thrown into darkness following the destruction of electric poles by a rain storm.

The communities adversely affected by the Friday night downpour experiencing power outage as a result of the destroyed poles include Ajebamidele, Omisanjana and Atlas in Ado Ekiti as well as Ikere Ekiti, Ise Ekiti and Emure Ekiti.

Many of the residents were also left stranded while traffic, social and economic activities were disrupted by the torrential rainfall which swept across the neighbourhoods on Friday night and in the early hours of Saturday.

The rain which started few minutes before 5pm on Friday ceased briefly before it started at about 6pm accompanied by violent storms which knocked down about six electric poles made of concrete.

The high-tension cables on the poles connect the 132/133 KVA power substation in Omisanjana and neighbouring towns of Ikere, Ise and Emure.

The affected poles were brought down by the rainstorm within the vicinity of Deeper Life Campground in Ajebamidele, a densely populated neighbourhood in the Ekiti State capital.
The main access road which starts from the Ado-Ikere Highway and terminates at Omisanjana was also blocked by the fallen electric poles.

The road, which was constructed by the Biodun Oyebanji led- administration, was commissioned by Vice President Kashim Shettima in June. The hitherto busy road has been left deserted as a result of the development.
Many residents who were making their way home from their workplaces were stranded for several hours.

As the rain intensified during the confusion, a good number of motorists had to turn back to take the very longer route of going through Ajilosun-Ijigbo-Ilawe Road to connect their destinations through Omisanjana.

Many motorists had to leave their vehicles in some locations and trekked home in frustration.