BEDC Power Supply Has Hinder Development In Delta – Onuesoke Cries Out
By Ovedhe Hezekiah.
A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has lamented over the poor performance of Benin Electric Distribution Company (BEDC) in Delta state has hindered development in the state.
Chief Onuesoke stated this in an interview with newsmen over the weekend, attributing the cause of economic under development in the state to BEDC epileptic power supply, high estimated billings, abandonment of their responsibilities to consumers and workers non-challant attitude towards consumers.”
He noted that, no industry or economic investment can survive in the state with the power epileptic performance BEDC.
In his words: “They are failing us. There is no twenty four hours power supply in Warri and environs. BEDC should be review. We should not pretend about it. There is nothing any Governor in the South South can do about it. If the government depends on BEDC power supply for development, it will be disappointed.
“BEDC high estimated bill has killed small and medium scale ventures in the state. The high rate of disbursement of estimated bill is killing industries and other investments in Delta State. Just imagine pure water factory paying N500, 000 or bottle water factory paying over N1m for monthly electricity bill. If we want to move this state forward we must review the activities of BEDC in Delta State.
“BEDC has abandoned his responsibility of maintaining and servicing his damaged and faulty equipments to customers in a way by making them to buy polls, cables and repair faulty transformers in their environs.
“Consumer have been forced to buy transformers, subjected to all forms of illegal collections and payments through estimated billings by the company.
“The people are suffering in darkness. Most small business are folding up because of poor services, epileptic electricity supply and high estimated bills. You could imagine where there is a natural disaster caused by heavy wind, rain or flood, BEDC will ask the people in the area to contribute money for replacement of the poles, buying of cables, repairs of transformer and even pay their workers that earn monthly salaries workmanship. Despite all that, the power supply is still very epileptic. The oppression from BED is becoming something else.
He however appealed to the Federal Government to evolve an arrangement that will give consumers the right to choose which disco to connect to, noting that: “The power situation is very bad. I had suggested that the Power Minister should put in place a system where consumers can choose which power company to do business with if one does not work well.”
