By joshua Edo CPC Tackles BEDC On Illegal Band Migration In Edo
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin city
The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee has called on the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to stop the illegal migration of consumers to Bands without their consent and commensurate power supply.
The Committee made the demand during its advocacy visit to the corporate headquarters of BEDC in Benin City.
The Committee chairman, Osaro Culture Iyamu , demanded the immediate constitution of a Joint Complaint Resolution Committee comprising its members, BEDC Management, CSOs, NGO’s Community Heads, Security Agencies and NUJ to address complaints transparently on a daily basis.
Iyamu, also presented to the BEDC Management other estimated billing and over-billing of customers, prolonged power outage and blackouts in many communities, as well as forcing customers to pay for repairs and replacement of faulty equipment.
According to him, free metering under the Federal Government metering programmes was allegedly sold at exorbitant prices ranging from N150,000 to N400,000, with illegal charges for installation and mapping of N10,000 to N25,000.
“Edo State Consumer Protection Committee demanded the immediate constitution of a Joint Complaint Resolution Committee comprising its members, BEDC Management, CSOs, NGO’s Community Heads, Security Agencies and NUJ to address complaints transparently on a daily basis.”
It also demanded the establishment of functional and accessible Service Centers for Meter complaints, replacement and activation across all local government areas.
The Committee urged the BEDC to publish its operational heads in various branches with their official phone numbers, to enable consumers to interface with genuine staff and avoid extortion by impostors.
It maintained that customers must stop purchasing transformers and installation materials for BEDC saying that was part of its statutory obligation.