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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
A first time investor in Delta State, Austin Wareyai, has lamented the huge cost involved in the installation of public power from the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
Wareyai said he has spent over N40 million, albeit unsuccessfully, to install constant electricity at his multi-purpose facility in Ekpan, near Warri.
He described the development as very unfriendly to investment, and urged the state government to facilitate more friendly policies particularly as it affect power installation to encourage potential investors.
Narrating the genesis of how he started paying for power installation, Wareyai said when the property was being developed, BEDC was approached to provide national electricity, which is one of the “basic needs”, for such a facility to function.
According to him, he was told to apply for 33KVA500 transformer, which he did by providing all necessary logistical requirements for procurement.
However, he was shocked to receive an 11KVA500 transformer instead of the 33KVA that was applied for.
“In our own wisdom, we asked for a way forward and they said we have to increase the transformer. We applied for NEMSA’s approval. They brought another cost of about N18 million to buy a 1MVA transformer, including the construction and every other thing.
“We looked at it and said, if that is what will make us do our business with stable electricity, no problem. We applied for it. After providing for logistics and all that, they brought another memo, again. In the previous one, they asked us to pay a N1.5 million security deposit which we paid. Now after they told us they’ve secured the NEMSA approval, it is now left for BEDC to come do the construction and install the 1MVA transformer.
“But they said before they are going to effect that we have to pay the sum of N8,845,740.24 as additional security deposit. We asked why and they said we have to pay it in case we default in our monthly bill payment…”
