Thousand of people gathered the streets of Sapele, Delta State, yesterday, in protest against continuous blackout in the city.
The protesters, mainly artisans and small business operators at Ugwaja, AT&P and Mowoe Quarters, said the situation had made life unbearable for them, since they could no longer run their businesses due to the blackout.
The declaration of officials of Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, that solutions to the problem was not in sight because of failure of consumers to pay accumulated bills further fuelled the anger of the protesters, who claimed they were being charged for services not rendered.
Spokesman of the protesters from Ugwaja, Mr. Ben Tobi, said: “Electricity is always off from 4a.m. to 9a.m.; 12noon to 3p.m.; 5p.m. to 11p.m. That is 14 hours of blackout every day.
“Some BEDC officials have told us that they have been conserving daily power consumption. We want the Minister of Power to intervene at once.
“Our children no longer use NEPA (BEDC) to read; it is now only generator power. Our transformer has been bad for over four months now and BEDC is saying we should contribute money to buy another one.
“They are even saying we should pay all outstanding bills owed by old and disabled consumers.”
Okirighwre
Pa Alfred Mowoe, who led protesters from Okirighwre axis said though residents of the area contributed money to buy transformer installed by BEDC, the company was yet to connect the community to the national grid.
He said: “In our case, we contributed money and bought a transformer which we installed but BEDC refused to link us to the national grid. They said we should pay up all past debts owed by old, jobless and disabled people before they can link us to the national grid.”
BEDC reacts
While responding to the claims of the protesters, Business Manager of BEDC, Engr. Okwara Okey, said the perennial blackout in Sapele would continue, since the residents owed huge debts.
He said: “The persistent blackout may continue in Sapele and environs because the people owe us very heavily. Oghara axis alone is owing over N800 million.
“We have told the local government chairman, who went ahead to install a transformer there, to pay before we can give that local government council the approval to install a transformer, even before we talk of linking it to the national grid.
“The company does not have the money to attend to the immediate power needs of customers in Sapele and environs. They must pay up what they owe.
“Sapele and environs owe over N4 billion, which must be paid up before our head office can approve the installation of new transformers or link them to the national grid.
“From where will the company get that money if the customers do not pay? So they must pay first before problem of electricity in the area can be addressed.
