Aggrieved electricity consumers in Edo State have issued a two-week ultimatum to the management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to address the epileptic power supply in the state.
The consumers threatened to embark on a mass civil action to express their dissatisfaction with the poor service delivery of the BEDC.
The angry consumers gave the ultimatum at a press conference in Benin City on Monday morning.
Coordinator of the group, Emmanuel Ogbidi, who addressed journalists on behalf of the consumers, said that “Edo people are united like never before to liberate themselves from the oppressive tendencies of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
“History shall not fail to absolve us, for standing for millions of Edo people whom the BEDC have reduced to second-class citizens in their own state, owing to their high-handedness, bullying, and extortions.”
He named some of the alleged shortcomings of the BEDC as plunging several communities into utter darkness for years, estimated billing of consumers, non-provision of transformers, electric poles, cables, and the non-maintenance of faulty transformers.
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Ogbidi further disclosed that the “BEDC has continued to disconnect poor Edo people from the national grid without proper notice as stipulated by the NERC.
“In many cases, they don’t share bills; they tell you what to pay or face disconnection.
“Even though the federal government said meters should be given to consumers free of charge, including the installation, meters from BEDC are still being sold for between ₦150,000-N400,000.
“Consumers are also asked to pay N10,000 and N15,000 for installation and mapping, respectively.”
The civil society group gave the BEDC two weeks to, among others, stop oppressing Edo people and wake up to its primary responsibility of effective distribution of power to Edo people.
The protesters vowed that “Edo people shall not continue to pay for services not rendered nor be subjected to inhumane treatment by any private individual or group of individuals.”
