By Feyisetan Akeeb Kareem
SIR: We the residents of Ogwashi-Ukwu in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State do not understand the offence or sin we have committed that Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has refused to supply us with electricity. The most annoying part is that after asking us the residents to contribute money to buy or fix transformers, they still insisted on giving us estimated bills for power not consumed. As I am writing this letter, some communities like Ishekpe Quarters and Isah Road Area of Ogwashi-Ukwu have not seen power supply for a long time because BEDC is expecting them to contribute money to them to fix the transformer.
Despite this corporate extortion, including the contentious issue of estimated bills, all our petitions to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) have fallen on deaf as the commission has refused to intervene on our behalf the result of which many businesses are folding up because they depend on electricity in the situation that many cannot afford the high price of fuel to sustain their businesses.
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Ogwashi-Ukwu being the capital of Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State is where the Delta State Polytechnic is located. There you see students of the polytechnic who are supposed to be resting after lectures going around looking for where to charge their phones at night because of the failure of Benin Electricity Distribution Company to supply electricity to the community.
We appeal to the Ministry of Power supply to intervene to stave off possible protest against Benin Electricity Distribution Company.
It is unfortunate that our representatives at the local, state and federal levels are not bothered about our plights. If the headquarters of a local government is being treated like this, we can only wonder at what would be happening to other smaller communities in Aniocha South.