Benin Electricity Distribution Company known as BEDC or Benin Disco came into prominence following the privatization of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN in 2013 under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
BEDC is responsible for retail distribution of electricity in Delta, Edo, Ekiti, and Ondo States. This region, statistics show, has the third largest number of households in the country with about thirteen million people to serve.
One would naturally expect so much from this Disco, especially when the reasons behind the privatization of PHCN are borne in mind. A high command of power is also expected from the acclaimed 4th largest DisCo in distribution capacity.
Sadly, the distance between BEDC’s first rating and the reality on ground is like the distance between Earth and Mars. The beautiful new bride holds no candle to her predecessors and even co-wives. Its power is channeled towards bullying and ripping its customers for services ill-rendered or not rendered at all.
With over three hundred offices with ‘efficient’ staff, it has no effect.
No, that is an error. BEDC is effective.
There is more of night than light these days. This was not readily available during the time of Electricity Corporation of Nigeria, ECN when there was near-constant power supply. Gone are the days when National Electric Power Authority, NEPA staff tried to ensure that there was light and meters were read. PHCN must be mad to think that BEDC will bother supplying power some days before sharing bill to encourage the people to pay.
BEDC is also not as patronizing as these her predecessors who tried to ensure steady power supply to faithful customers after disconnecting the debtors as a bait to get paid. No time for that.
Rather it has resources for these;
BEDC has the resources, human and otherwise to sit in its offices and give whatever bills it deems fit for customers whether justified or not.
Like King Kong, it does not believe any customer, whether private or corporate has the right to query its bogus, outrageous billing. Meters are not read and should not be read as long as this company is concerned. When customers complain, they get threats of disconnection.
It does not also believe in estimating bills according to appliances and usage. It must bill according to its whims like a personal vendetta. Agreed, the company is commercial and must make money but it must not cheat Nigerians in doing so.
As far as BEDC is concerned, prepaid meter is not pay as you go as it was meant to be. Cases abound where customers are warned and bullied to use ‘more’ or get disconnected. Some are out-rightly denied access to prepaid meter because it will take away its power of extortion.
The saying – customer is king, is non-existent with this Disco. For it, customer is at its mercy to be dragged about at will. The staff are quick to tell customers to change to generators if they feel cheated because that would be like being torn between Scylla and Charybdees.
The federal and state governments are trying so hard to encourage investors especially in the Niger Delta area where insecurity has scared so many away. This is the same area where BEDC holds sway. Surprisingly, for reasons not yet known, the company seems to have a huge grouse against companies, big or small. A random sampling will help buttress this.
For an area that is begging for investors, BEDC is not only frustrating the few that have come in but is frustrating government’s frantic efforts in wooing more. Will the federal and states governments stand by with hands akimbo? That would be tacit approval of the activities of the monster which BEDC has become. Like the frankeinstein monster, it will certainly bounce back, deadlier to destroy its benefactor.
In case it is not readily known, power is the mainstay of the economy whether private or public. The barber by the street corner needs power for his trade. When he is not employed, self or not, crime beckons. Same goes for the welder and others. When they do not go into crime, they relocate, crowding and straining other places while the places they left, remain undeveloped. Like a cycle, it goes back to the government.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, Minister of Trade, Commerce and Industry, Okechukwu Enelamah and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris should as a matter of national interest, urgently check the attitude of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company. BEDC is consciously sabotaging the jobs of these persons and must be stopped immediately.
Nigerians must be woken up from the nightmare called BEDC if the economy must be rejuvenated. Now is the time.
Power supply is neither electric boogie nor disco dance. It is a serious national task.
BEDC must brace up to improve its battered image for the better.
