POWER SUPPLY: SAPELE RESIDENTS INSISTS ON 18HRS POWER SUPPLY.

HONOURABLE MONDAY O. IGBUYA

Residents of Sapele on Monday rose from a meeting in the state capital of Asaba summoned by the Speaker of the Delta state House of Assembly, Honourable Monday Ovwigho Igbuya with other critical stakeholders to reject the 8hrs proposed supply by BEDC.

The residents who were lead by the Chairman of Sapele Local Government Council, Honourable Ejaife Odebala, decried the incessant power outages by the management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC.

According to the Speaker of the DSHA, “the attendant crazy bills being issued by the BEDC is highly condemnable, while also noting that, the residents of Sapele pay their bills and therefore wondered why the management of the BEDC will come up with frivolous accusations. He charged the electricity company to ensure that Prepaid Metres are distributed to consumers as against the “estimated billing system” which encourages extortion by its staff.

Present also at the meeting were, elders and leaders of various political and non-political groups in Sapele as they voiced their dissatisfaction with the electricity company, insisting for up to eighteen hours electricity supply daily. 

Hon. Monday Igbuya, Hon. Odebala and other stakeholders in group photograph in Asaba after their Stakeholders meeting to resolve the perennial power outage in Sapele.

Honourable Igbuya, urged the BEDC to bring to an end, the practice of estimated billing while also, cautioned against “taking people for granted”.

“Your actions show great disrespect for all of us. Sapele residents are paying their bills and the BEDC must provide metres to consumers”, the Speaker stated.

“The officials must respond to faults reported by the consumers and they must also try to communicate regularly”.

Honourable lamented the effects of the power outages on the activities and businesses in the town. As he puts it, “the irregularity in power supply has disrupted daily life”.

Episcopal Vicar and Dean, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Sapele,  the Very Reverend Father Christopher Ekabo who was also part of the delegation, suggested ways towards securing on lasting a solution to the perennial power crisis in the town.

According to Cleric, “electricity supply to Sapele on a daily basis should hour between 12-18 hrs as anything less, will not be good for the people”, he said.

Rev. Father Ekabo condemned the issuance of estimated bills and requested that Prepaid Metres should be made available to curb the collection of money by staffers of BEDC which has become an extortion of sorts. The further advised that “load shedding” should be done in a manner that is proper and not done to shortchange anybody while also, responding to the “none payment of bills” excuse of the BEDC would be looked into.

The Catholic Priest however called on the BEDC to make a formal and public apology to the residents for its actions.

 
In reaching a compromise after heated arguments and debates, it was unanimously agreed that power supply would be for eight (8) hours daily for a start with an increment which will be subjected to further improvements within the shortest time possible.