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Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Residents of Bonsaac community in Asaba, Delta State capital on Tuesday protested against the management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over alleged failure to replace a damage transformer.
The placard bearing protesters said the community has been in darkness for over six months as a result of the faulty transformer, and demanded that the Federal Government to withdraw the licence of the company for incompetence.
Chairman of the community, Mr. Morah Michael who spoke during protest, said BEDC was not meeting up its responsibility of replacing damaged installations.
“Over six months ago, our transformer got burnt, we wrote to BEDC, National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the police and other government agencies.
“We have met with BEDC for a way forward, but all to no avail. We are the one that bought the transformer before, they are expecting us to buy it again. We are paying our bills and it is the duty of the service provider to replace any damaged installation.
“The telecommunication companies are the ones that replaces their damaged transformers, masts and or other equipments, they never for one day task us. Why BEDC can not live to their responsibility of replacing their property.
“Many of us have money stock in our pre-paid metres and now BEDC is depriving us the right to utilise our money for over six months. We are suffering because the economic activities of community had already crippled. We are not owing them,” he fumed.
On the meter, the protesters lamented that BEDC was forcing them to buy the new meter while they still have functional meters that were sold to them in the past.
Public Affairs Officer, BEDC in Asaba, Mrs. Esther Okolie declined to comment on the issues but said the protesters “did not come to our office, if they have police permit, they could have reach our office, if that’s only way they believed to pass their grievance, so I can’t comment on that.”
