management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company
(BEDC) to restore power to Auchi and other communities, which
suffered mass disconnection in the state within 48 hours, or he
would be forced to take a retaliatory action against the power
distribution company.
Speaking during a meeting with the management of the BEDC at
the Government House, Benin City, on Friday, Governor
Oshiomhole decried the indiscriminate disconnection, failure to
deliver power to the people and exploitation of the consumers
through exorbitant charges.
He said: "We have had a couple of conversations with you, with
your managing director and your senior management over the
unacceptable deterioration of the services that you provide as a
distribution company.
"And the prohibitive charges that your company imposes on the
people of this state, and even the arrogance with which you respond
when consumers genuinely raise concerns about growing darkness
and rising bills.
"It is absolutely unacceptable in a civilised society that because
you are a private monopoly, you resort to tactics which are meant
to destroy the economy of this state and make life miserable for
families and create such confusion that, if not arrested, you will not
be able to survive in this state."
The Governor continued, "In different parts of Edo State, when
protesters raise concerns which you cannot fault, namely that you
do not invest in the provision of transformers, and therefore in
many cases they are in the dark for weeks, for months, some of
them nine months, and even the few places you provide light,
maybe three hours a day, you charge bills that are as high as thirty
hours a day, and when they protest, you arrogantly disconnect
them.
"As we speak, the traditional ruler in Auchi tells me you have shut
down supply to that area, and all the businesses there, hotel owners
have come to complain.
"In different parts of Edo South, Edo Central, the story is the same.
And as the governor of the state, I have continued to appropriate
public funds to provide facilities that ought to be provided by
Benin Electricity Distribution Company.
"The Government has no business buying transformers which is
part of the cost which a distribution company should take on board.
We take taxpayers' money to buy these transformers and with or
without power supply, you collect exorbitant rates."
He said, "when I hear as you have often done that you have shut
down in Igarra, in different parts of the state, including Benin area
and Esan area, because people protested in a manner that you don't
approve of, you resort to abusing your power by disconnecting
them. "If you abuse your power like that, and I respond the same
way, I have the power to revoke your certificate of occupancy of
the property that you own in Edo State, and you will not be able to
do business in this state without the approval of Edo State
Government.
"The Federal can sell or auction or dash to you their facility, but I
remain the custodian of the land in this state, and I have powers to
revoke all your properties so that you don't work from the
assumption that the state is helpless. We are not helpless.
"We have tried to accommodate you; I have appealed, I have
sermonised, I have held meetings with you at the highest level, I
don't know how many times now. The civil society people who
serve as the conscience of our people have taken time out to engage
in as much as any provocative man can do what qualifies for a
peaceful, non-violent protest, and the response of your company
has been very arrogant."
Oshiomhole declared, "I just called you today to tell you that I
have had enough. I am right now ready, for every misbehaviour you
do, I will respond correspondingly. Even your property in Benin, I
can revoke the certificate of occupancy, and you will have no land
to do business. This is the worst side, the ugliest face of private
capital monopoly. Our people are completely fed up, and you are
destroying the economy of this state.
"The next time the guys are on the streets, I will join them. What I
will do with my privileged office, I will do it because enough is
enough."
The Governor charged the Benin Electricity Distribution Company
to restore power to areas which have been disconnected within 48
hours.
He said, "I will give you an ultimatum: within the next 48 hours go
and restore power there. If you do not, I reserve the right to
compound your problem. Let me say this, if other people accept
what is wrong, Edo people will insist on what is right."
(dailyindependentnig)
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