Follow Us on Google
Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) Plc. management has insisted the company and Edo Government must meet on a round table to fine tune ways to end power outage in the state.
BEDC Managing Director, Funke Osibodu, represented by Edo Chief State Head, Abel Enechaziam, stated this in Benin while reacting to the 48 hours ultimatum issued to it by the government.
The government had, last Wednesday, given the BEDC and Ossiomo Power and Infrastructure Power Company Ltd. up to Friday as deadline to reach a final agreement on a power generation and distribution plan in the state.
The Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, gave the order in his office in Benin, saying if they allow government take the initiative and do it its own way, the agreement will be binding on all the parties.
The warning was against the background of legal bottlenecks caused by a suit instituted by BEDC, seeking to stop the implementation of the bilateral agreement meant to prepare ground for an efficient generation and distribution of power to the satisfaction of consumers in the state.
Osibodu said heeding to the state government ultimatum without doing it the right way undermines the safety of the citizens.
“I want to use this opportunity to clear the air on the ultimatum given to BEDC. BEDC has always be on the forefront of attending meetings regarding the bilateral agreement we have with government and Ossiomo power plant. But Ossiomo is never present in all the meetings.
“Power is been regulated and they have regulatory guidelines which we must follow. There were over 25 areas we had disagreement, we have bent to allow other issues to go except two major issues that are injurious to the citizens of the state.
“We need to clear those two major issues which we believe are not in the interest of the people.
“Not because we don’t have cordial relationship just because we want to sidetrack regulatory things. Some major issues are injurious to the people.
“The agreement we are to sign will be signed when these issues are resolved. You can see some lines on Sapele road were lines are sleeping on some lines. That itself is disaster waiting to happen.
“Part of what we are saying is that these two issues have to be resolved before embarking on that construction. The agreement will be signed when this two things happen.
“The two things include valuation of the lines to be used to convey power and valuation of the line through open competitive and transparent tendering process.
“The second is that operations and management of the line. They want to run a distribution within a distribution and we are saying no, but we can allow you to appoint your person to work under the supervision of BEDC,” she said.
