By: Ike Philip Abiagom
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t says so much about our country that the government as well as our Benin Electric Distribution Company (BEDC) appear oblivious to the monumental human misery (Blackout) in Ezenei Community, Given the magnitude of the catastrophe caused by BEDC to residents of Ezenei community in Asaba, the State government should have offered relief measures to residents for the pains and agony they are passing through for the past seven months. Under the aegis of Bring Back Our Light (BBOL), a pressure group campaigning for the restoration of light in the Ezenei – Asaba Combol 1 transformer since April 2023, accused BEDC of gross misconduct.
The leader of the protesting group, Chief Paul Mordi said the Ezenei community in Asaba, Delta State are suffering in darkness for the past seven (7) months. Most small businesses are folding up because of complete black out in Ezenei Avenue. Can you imagine that whenever there is a natural disaster caused by heavy wind, rain or flood, vandalization of Transformers, BEDC will ask the people in the area to contribute money for replacement of the poles, buying of cables, repairs of transformers and even pay their workers for the service rendered. Despite all that, the power supply is still very epileptic.
The oppression from BEDC is becoming something else. The residents of Ezenei Avenue in Asaba who decried the situation said the situation hampered economic progress in their communities because BEDC left Ezenei Community in total blackout as it was alleged that BEDC Ezenei office abandoned the entire community for seven months now.
He has berated the Benin Electric Distribution Company (BEDC) over poor performance and nonchalant attitude of the BEDC Ezenei office towards the restoration of light to the Ezenei community ,noting that the situation is becoming a threat to the development of the state.
He maintained that BEDC’s epileptic power supply, high estimated billings, abandonment of their responsibilities to consumers, and workers’ nonchalant attitude towards consumers were the causes of economic under-development in the state. He lamented that no industry or economic investment could survive in the state with the way and manner BEDC is operating-without effective power supply.
According to him, “They are failing us. There is no 24 hours power supply in Asaba and environs. The situation, it was learnt, has forced some residents, particularly artisans who need electricity to ply their trades to relocate from the area.
Those who have no choice but to remain in the community, it was further gathered, have been spending a fortune on fuel to power their generating sets in other to continue to carry out their commercial activities, thereby incurring huge costs. He said, “No sane human being wants to stay where there is no electricity when there is an option of getting a better life somewhere else.
“For over seven months, no electricity, and the price of fuel has been increasing. Generally, the community is not conducive for people to live in again. We are calling on the state governor, to come to the rescue because BEDC as a company has failed us. “We have made a lot of efforts to repair our old COLBOL 1 transformer since BEDC has abandoned the entire EZENEI Community for Seven months without any solution .
“When we asked BEDC Electricity Plc to know what was delaying the connection, they told us that they didn’t have the resources and since BEDC has abandoned their responsibilities to consumers, we are appealing to the state government, member representing Oshimili South at the Delta State House of Assembly to come to our aid as BEDC is frustrating all our efforts. The power outage had heightened insecurity in the EZENEI Community and, several efforts to ensure the electricity company addressed their plight have been without luck.
We have no choice but to let the world know of the parlous state of electricity supply to our towns(Asaba) the total blackout that EZENEI Community residents are currently experiencing and the attendant negative impact on businesses and social activities in the community.”
The Ezenei BEDC office cannot continue to grandstand when clearly, they are grossly inefficient and incompetent. Ezenei BEDC office is the most unpopular and unwanted office in EZENEI Community today. The oppression from BEDC is becoming something else. “Customers have been forced to buy transformers and subjected to all forms of illegal collections. We can nolonger continue to live in pains and agony, BEDC must Bring Back Our Light. A word is enough for the wise.
