Aggrieved electricity consumers in Edo State have issued a two weeks ultimatum to the management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to correct its short comings “else we will reject them in totality and face mass civil action and disobedience from Edo people.”
The aggrieved consumers gave the ultimatum at a Press Conference it addressed in Benin City on Monday morning.
Coordinator of the group, Emmanuel Ogbidi, who addressed the Press Conference on behalf of the consumers, said that “Edo people are united like never to liberate themselves from the oppressive tendencies o Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
“History shall not fail to absolve us, for standing for millions of Edo people whom BEDC have reduced to second class citizens in their own state, owing to their high handedness, bulling and extortions.”
Some of the alleged shortcomings of BEDC as disclosed by the protesters include: “several communities are thrown into utter darkness ranging, between one to six months and in some cases years just because BEDC failed to take responsibility as Distribution Company to fix their issues. Some other communities are compelled to buying transformers, poles, and cables to fix their power issues while they write undertaken to donate the equipment to BEDC and also pay millions (10-15m) for the installations; consumers are responsible for fixing and maintaining faulty transformers and equipment for BEDC.
“We task ourselves per houses in affected areas, while BEDC still come to collect bill at the end of the month. BEDC has continued to enjoy the estimated bills they churn out for innocent consumers in the tune of thousands even when there is no light. Thereby extorting Edo people consistently. We pay for light, and they give us darkness.”
Going further, Ogbidi, disclosed: “BEDC has continued to disconnect poor Edo people from the national grid without proper notice as stipulated by NERC. In many cases, they don’t share bills, they tell you what to pay or face disconnection.
“Even though the Federal Government said meter should be given to consumers free of charge including installation, meters from BEDC is between ₦150000-400000. You are also ask to pay 10k and 15k for installation and mapping, respectively.”
The civil society group gave the BEDC two weeks ultimatum to among others “stop oppressing Edo people and wake up to its primary responsibility of effectively distribution of power to Edo people; BEDC should as a matter of urgency restore communities in darkness back to national grid; BEDC must stop compelling communities to buy equipment and donate same to them before they are connected or issues fixed and BEDC must meter Edo people free of charge and publish beneficiaries of the meters for the purpose of accountability.”
The protesters vowed that “Edo people shall not continue to pay for services not rendered nor subjected to in human treatment by any private individual or group of individuals.”
