BEDC blackout Ibusa over N21m unpaid debt

The Benin Distribution Company (BEDC) has thrown Ibusa community into darkness over N21 million unpaid debt.

It was gathered that efforts being made by concerned persons in the community to ensure the restoration of power supply to the community, were thwarted  by some unpatriotic citizens who allegedly had been going round the town announcing to the public not to pay the BEDC electricity bills, alleging that some wealthy sons/daughters of the community had paid the outstanding bills for the entire consumers.

Investigation revealed that since Ibusa town was cut off from electricity supply by the management of BEDC, there has been crisis of confidence among the community power restoration project committee; a situation that also not produce headway for solution.

But Mr. Frank Nwabudike, Chairman of Ibusa Community Development Union, told our reporter that efforts by the union responsible for the purposes of liaising and dialoguing with BEDC Officials on how to source money for the payment of the N21 million debt, proved abortive when the officials of BEDC insisted that the N21million must be fully paid as a condition for the power restoration to the community.

According to Mr. Nwabudike: “As at January 5, 2017, the total electricity bill owned to BEDC by Ibusa consumers amounted to the sum of N21 million, while it would cost the sum of about N17.5 million to effect repairs of some of the power transformers installed and vandalized in Ibusa community” disclosing that 25 of such transformers located in the spate of complaints by most consumers in the town was resolved on re-enumeration of house in the community.

BEDC Public Affairs Manager, Mrs. Esther Okolie who also confirmed N21 million debt, said many of the transformers were vandalized while unidentified thieves allegedly carted away the equipment.

She said: “we cannot restore power to Ibusa community unless the N21 million is paid in full, unknown thieves renovated the transformers and equipment, all of them must be replaced”.

Speaking further, Mr. Nwabudike explained that in the last union meeting, it was agreed that the outstanding bills of N21million owed BEDC be shared equally by the ten quarters/villages of the community and their representatives shall work in collaboration with the members of the union, adding that since the meeting which he said lasted seven days, nothing had been forth coming to offset the bills.

Some of the community’s consumers who spoke to our reporter, one of them Ogbueshi Emeka Nwandu, said: “we are facing difficulties because of lack of unity and in the past one year 2016, to date we have no light because of the N21 million bills, we are appealing that our sons/daughter should come together to offset the bills”