Category Archives: Benin Electricity Distribution Company

BEDC, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Editorial, Top News

The Need For BEDC To Prevent High Tension Cable Accident In Ika Land — Residents Speak

By Emmanuel Egbuchinem

Some residents of Boji Boji Metropolis have during an interactive session with Ika Mirror Newspaper reporter on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, frowned at the rate of high tension electricity cable accident that is being recorded on a daily basis in Ika Land.

Some of the respondents who bared their mind on the issue urged the management of BEDC to be more committed in the area of preventing high tension electricity cable accidents and in maintaining their facilities continuously, in order to forestall such negative occurrences within Ika Nation.Here are the contributions of some of the residents who spoke on the issue.Mr. Emmanuel Uzor, A Businessman, said “First and foremost I sympathize with the high tension electricity cable accident victim and her family over the mishap a fortnight ago. The issue of electricity cable accident is becoming very worrisome in Ika Land, there is no point beating around the bush, the management and staffs of BEDC should live up to expectation,they have not done that in my own view. It is unfortunate that we are still seeing a situation where individuals, group and organization come together and contribute their resources to purchase electric poles/cables and transformers after which they will transfer the materials and equipment to the authorities of BEDC. We were told by the federal government that power has been privatized, yet I don’t know why the issue of outdated equipment and bad structures are so pronounced all over the place, you will see several old and outdated transformers, electricity poles and cables. It is becoming a death trap everywhere though it’s not only in Ika Land that I have been seeing such rot, but it is quite unfortunate anyway. It is high time that the federal government has to use the authorities at their disposal to ensure that the management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) are made to be more committed to their responsibilities of doing the needful in saving Nigerians from all these unfortunate incidence”.Mr. Benjamin Igboanugo, A Carton Manufacturer, said “Power issue in Nigeria is a very complex issue, we made it complex not that we don’t have the materials to provide electricity to the citizens, but we made it so complex that we don’t know how to come out of it. Most of these high tension wires were installed in the Seventies and Eighties and nobody to maintain them. I don’t think it is like that in some of the developing world, not to talk of the developed world. What can someone say? Until it kills a prominent person or notable politicians they will not sit up, presently it is killing people, we will talk and when we talk, if it is the will of God they will listen, but we will keep talking.What I am saying is that BEDC should have a system whereby all these old high tension cable mast and tower that is carrying the electricity cables should be properly maintained because they are bound to collapse. The authority of the power distribution company should have a system of maintaining their equipment say maybe within a time frame of four years there will be a change or maintenance, so that these things will not continue to be killing our people.We are crying that Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen and unknown bandits are killing people, now electricity cable that is in everywhere will also add to the killings, how many Nigerians will remain? The management of BEDC should sit up, I don’t know how we can continue in this society in such situation where there is no maintenance culture? Even in the Bible after Jesus Christ fed Five thousand people they picked up what was remaining so that there wouldn’t be any waste, but here in our country we are always into continuous wasting and no system to curtail the wastages, I don tire o, I don’t know where we are heading to. Let the authorities of BEDC try and continually maintain the mast and towers that are carrying the high tension electricity cables, so that we will be alive in good health”.Comrade Anthony Nwabianke, A Security Practitioner, said “This issue is good to be addressed because of the adverse effects of the high tension electricity cable accident on some persons in recent times. At this point it will be appreciated by the citizenry for the authorities of BEDC to consider it as a priority to go into adequate maintenance of their facilities such as the replacement of wooden electricity poles in order to ensure that things are being done perfectly, they should also ensure that residential buildings and business structures are not constructed under the high tension electricity cable wires. Furthermore, I urge the BEDC management to ensure that they supervise the staffers effectively that they do the right things that are expected of them and if need be they should ensure that they pay them accordingly, so that BEDC will see the need of providing quality services to the masses. The risk of high tension electricity cable on the citizens is not something that should be overlooked.Although, for sometime now BEDC have been trying in providing electricity to the masses, but much more is required in maintaining their facilities in order to ensure that the people of Ika Nation enjoy their services to the fullest”.
The post The Need For BEDC To Prevent High Tension Cable Accident In Ika Land — Residents Speak appeared first on IKA Mirror Newspaper Online.
Source: Ika News Agbor
Ika News: The Need For BEDC To Prevent High Tension Cable Accident In Ika Land — Residents Speak

Agbor, BEDC, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Community, Events, protest, Protesters, Top News, Unity Community

Unity Community Stages Peaceful Protest At Agbor

Demands immediate reconnection and energizing of their transformer

The entire members of Unity Community located at opposite Dr. Whyte, New Lagos/ Asaba Road, Agbor, Delta State staged a peaceful protest on Tuesday, January 12,2021 at the Agbor Business District of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) office, over the illegal disconnection and non-energizing of their transformer which was bought by the community.

The community is made up of three different Landlord Associations: Idumudon Landlord Association, Onyebikumaoyen Landlord Association and Okiroro Landlord Association (Imudia Estate)These three communities have been in darkness since November, 2019 when Benin Electricity Distribution Company through their Agbor Business District illegally disconnected them from the public electricity power supply as a result of the incessant reports from the members of the community of irregular and low voltage power supply from BEDC.

In a petition released to Pressmen that was jointly signed by Pastor Paul Ogboi and Ewere Okonta (Chairman and Secretary of the light committee) during the peaceful protest at the Agbor BEDC office, they said the community was discouraged by the actions of the BEDC officials in Agbor, they went to work; they levied themselves and engaged the services of an established contractor (Von & Sons Nigeria Enterprises) who procured and installed a 300kva transformer for them for over three months ago now, yet the management of BEDC willfully rejected to reconnect and energize the said transformer even when the contractor has submitted all the necessary documents to the relevant authorities including the one that compels the community to donate the said transformer to the company (BEDC).

The community allegedly made a further investment of over fifteen million naira (#15,000,000) in the procurement of poles, conductors and other electricity accessories.

While addressing the protesters, the head commercial operations Mr. Stev Izerizuwa, he commended the community for their peaceful disposition during the protest and assured them that actions will be taken as soon as possible to address their petitions.

Pastor Paul Ogboi speaking during the protest

Unity Community Landlords/Landladies displaying their placards during the protests
The post Unity Community Stages Peaceful Protest At Agbor appeared first on IKA Mirror Newspaper Online.
Source: Ika News Agbor
Ika News: Unity Community Stages Peaceful Protest At Agbor

Agbor, Agbor Kingdom, BEDC, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Community, Old Lagos Asaba Road, Top News

Do not let anyone stir you into unnecessarily protest

Do not let anyone stir you into unnecessarily protest— BEDC, Agbor Business Manager Tells Residents

The Business Manager of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Agbor Business Unit, Engr. Bamgboje Akinlabi Amos, has urged members of the public not to allow anyone to stir them unnecessarily into participating in any protest against the establishment.

The BEDC Business Manager, gave the charge while reacting to the notice of protest on the installation of Prepaid meters on transformers instead of individual houses, as alleged by the members of the Ika Landlords and Landladies Association during their visit to his office on Tuesday, November 24, 2020.

In a swift reaction, Engr. Bamgboje Amos, on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, during an interactive session with Ika Mirror Newspaper reporter at his office, located by Uromi Junction, Agbor; stated that the meters that were installed on the transformers are Check Meters and Not Prepaid Meters as alleged by members of the Association.Here is the excerpt of the brief session

May we meet you Sir?I am Engineer Bamgboje Akinlabi Amos, The Business Manager, Agbor Business Unit of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).We are aware of the recent visit of the President and members of the Ika Landlords and Landladies Association to your office with a notice of protest on the installation of Prepaid Meters on transformers instead of individual houses. Please kindly explain what it entails to the general public, so that everyone will understand the situation better?

Actually, members of the Ika Landlords and Landladies Association came yesterday (Tuesday, November 24, 2020), to tell me about their intention; but first, I had told them that those meters that were installed are Check Meters, they are not meant for billing. Before the meter was brought to Agbor, I discussed with Mr. Vincent Arimokwu, the President of the Association with some members of his team when they visited my office, I told him that a meter is coming to Agbor, and would be installed as it was installed in Asaba; explaining that we call them Check Meters when they are installed on transformers; we also believe that any transformer that have them, have been approved for individual metering. All this I discussed with him. I felt bad yesterday when he led his team here; instead of disseminating proper information to them, he led his team here telling us that they want to protest on that; when I had told him earlier that the meters are not meant for billing. They are only meant for Check Meters, so that individual persons can be metered on any transformer that such meters have been installed, I took time to explain all these to him, the last time he came to my office.

Are you saying that it is not Prepaid Meters that were installed on the transformers?Exactly. Digital Meters and Check Meters, are what was installed on the transformers and not Prepaid Meters. The meters are quite different from Prepaid Meters.

The masses want to know why it is taking BEDC so long to provide them Prepaid Meters; what is causing the delay?In March, 2020, or there about, I attended the meeting of the Ika Landlords and Landladies Association, where I told them that MAP was on going as at then and that if we are able to get to a particular level of MAPPING, we are going to commence the installation of the Prepaid Meters; before the advent of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic which prompted the general lockdown. However, immediately after the lockdown, we continued with the process. Presently, as at yesterday (Tuesday, November 24, 2020), over 40 persons had paid for their individual Prepaid Meters, while many are still going through the processes of the Prepaid Meters. The 40 persons are those whose White Meters have been installed in their transformers. Currently, we have over 60 transformers with those meters that are ready for individual Prepaid metering.

What do you mean by the word “MAPPING”?Mapping is like a census; we need to know how many meters that would be required in Ika Nation, we need to know how many transformers that we need in Ika land and for us to know the number of persons in a particular area, we need to know how many houses are involved and in each of the compound we need to know how many blocks of flats are there, because we are going to give the meters to individuals. So, that is exactly what I meant by Mapping.

Having made this clarification, how do you see the intended protest?I don’t see any reason for the protest because it is a protest based on falsehood. The President of the Ika Landlords and Landladies Association, needs to know that any information he gets from this office should be disseminated to his people; because they are the major reason why I give out those information to him.

Using this medium, knowing that we are already within the yuletide season, what should your customers expect during this period and the New Year?Residents of Ika Nation have seen and are quite convinced that electricity supply in the area has greatly improved compared to what it was before the month of April 2020. In some areas we are having more than 12 hours supply, in other areas we are having 8, 9 and 10 hours supply; unlike what it was before when they were having two and half hours supply on daily basis. So, things have improved and I know that with the present steady power supply there will be a fulfilled Christmas celebration, more than the ones they had witnessed in the past.

Any other vital information for members of the public?Yes.. I want to inform the public that whenever they want any information or whenever they are in doubt; my office is always; come to my office, ask me your questions directly; so that you will not allow anyone to mislead you into doing what is not right; and into doing what is not needful because I want the progress and development of all the masses and communities in Ika land; that is mostly why we are here to contribute our own quota; of course we are aware that there are some areas in Ika Nation that do not have electricity supply. We are also aware that there are areas whose new transformers have not been energized, but some of them have processed their Prepaid Meters; because that is the only requirement for us (BEDC) to energize them; the approval have come. It is just a matter of time, everywhere in Ika land will be lighted up in the sense of electricity supply; I can assure you that when the masses enjoy constant power supply they will even forget that they are in Ika land; that exactly is our target. But please, I will also want to advise; don’t let anyone stir you unnecessarily into participating in any protest or anything whatsoever. However, if there is any information that you do not understand; Please walk into the office of the BEDC Agbor Business Manager; my office is always open to receive you.

I Pray that God Almighty will bless the entire citizens and inhabitants of Ika Nation and also bless the management and staff of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

Engr. Bamgboje Akinlabi Amos
The post Do not let anyone stir you into unnecessarily protest appeared first on IKA Mirror Newspaper Online.
Source: Ika News Agbor
Ika News: Do not let anyone stir you into unnecessarily protest