[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ollowing the failure of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to provide electricity to residents of Delta State, Asaba residents have described as “regrettable BEDC’s insensitivity to the suffering and extreme inconveniences it has caused millions of its customers across the state.” Aggrieved customers of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) IN Asaba have called on the Federal Government to revoke the operating licence of the firm. The customers who lamented the epileptic power supply in the four states under BEDC.
Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) may face a difficult time in Delta State soon as electricity consumers in Asaba, mostly Ezenei and its environs are facing the worse power supply for the past two years now. Investigation by Grassroots Publishers revealed that the action of the consumers is as a result of anger arising from exorbitant bills imposed on the consumers by the BEDC.The fact which emerged within the week is fuelled by high bills currently being distributed and have met stiff rejection. According to some of the aggrieved consumers who pleaded anonymity, the current bills being distributed is a confirmation of the orchestrated agenda of BEDC to impose hardship on Deltans for selfish gain since 2018.
“Their action is most regrettable as they have not considered their customers deserving of any apology for the extreme inconveniences, they have caused Delta people and residents.” Residents in Asaba cannot remember the year or months they slept with BEDC light (12 midnight to 6am), streets like Ezennei Avenue and its environs have never slept with BEDC light for the past two years now.
The aggrieved consumers noted that the hidden agenda of BEDC started last year, when the company imposed crazy bills on Deltans ranging from N12, 000 to 25,000 indiscriminately on occupants of two and three bedroom flats respectively.
They said the insensitivity of BEDC continued as the company ignored consumers’ protests and public outcry and distributed another high bills in April ranging from N9, 000 to N20, 000 and capped it with yet high bills in June when the company did not supply light in May.
Information also scooped within the week revealed that some consumers have concluded plans to drag BEDC to court to explain the high bills being imposed on Deltans. A dependable source at the company’s Ezenei district office in Asaba, told The Grassroots Publishers that some consumers had been coming for their monthly metre readings as part of information being gathered to slam law suits on BEDC.
The inside source blamed the high bills on the management of BEDC by choosing to use estimated bills instead of working on the metre readings presented for computation by the marketing staff.
Electricity consumers in Ezenei, Asaba and environs in Delta State, have accused officials and management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), of its outrageous and estimated bills being imposed on them, describing it as exploitative, fraudulent, wicked and intentional.
A customer, residing at Nwadu Okobi street off Ezenei in Asaba town of the State, who pleaded anonymity while speaking to Grassroots Publishers, accused the electricity company of outrageous and crazy bills even when there is no power supply.Another customer who also never wanted his name in print for fear of being singled out, disclosed that since he moved into his apartment in April last year, he has always been given outrageous bills even when there is no light. “How can you charge a two bedroom flat apartment #20,000.00 every month, what am using?”‘ he asked.
Displaying the recent bill given to him, he said the electricity company do not even come for monthly Metre Reading noting that when you look at the place of Metre Reading in the bill, it is written NA which he said he could only interpret to be ‘Not Available’ while in the place of date it is also written, ‘Not Available’ and the area of bill type, he said it is written MD Average.
Speaking further, the customer said, he has also drawn the attention of the BEDC Marketer Manager in Ezenei area office and complained to him about the outrageous bill, but he only told him that, he will see what he can do. He further stated that he is not satisfied with the response from the manager , he sent a mail to the head office and put a call across to the customer care line severally to complain, but no response was given.
The customer who was so bittered added that, this month bill, which is July bill, it is so amazing that even when they give light three hours daily for over six months now, he was still given an estimated bill of #20, 000,00.
He called on the Delta State government and other relevant authority to wade into the matter as it has become an avenue for BEDC official to defraud, steal and exploit their customers as some compounds of three blocks of flat pays #3,000.00 monthly while only one flat pays #20,000.00.
“The corruption of BEDC is on the highest level. They come to your house, even when you have a prepaid metre, they will come and leave a message like ‘if you people do not come to present the bills you use in buying units in the next two days, we are going to disconnect you’. These are people who have their own jobs to attend to, these are people who spend between N18,000 to N20,000 monthly on electricity bills.
“Even if they want to come to your house to do disconnection, are they don’t do it politely, give you a notice to that effect, and do so at a time convenient for the customers? Also, there is no light, but they bring bills for you and tell you it is estimated, whereas, the rule states that if you don’t have a metre, the electricity company should provide you with one and should not bill you pending when you get a metre, upon which reading they can only bill you.
By : Emeji Noble