BY AWELE OGBOGU
THE Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) dealt a bleak Easter period on residents of Asaba, Delta State capital and environs, following a widespread disconnection of homes and business premises, including numerous hospitality hotspots, at the beginning of the Easter holidays on Good Friday.
The Pointer gathered that the blackout persisted as at the time of going to press, yesterday.
Many residents, who were up-to-date on payment of their electricity bills, were said to be shocked by the disconnection exercise on the heels of the Easter celebration.
It was gathered that although the last electricity bill carried outrageous figures, many looked forward to an explanation from BEDC, but what they got was a bleary holiday period, with huge sums spent on powering homes and businesses with generators.
A popular newspaper outfit in the state capital, reported that its electricity bill which used to hover between N300, 000 and N350, 000 saw an increase to a tentative figure of N1.4 million, without any explanation from BEDC, except saying that it got the reading from the company’s post-paid meter, while the sum was arrived at using the new payment parameters ordered by the Minister of Power.
An official said that the electricity company was not bound to give any notice of increment or disconnection to those affected by the exercise, while ruling out the possibility of pre-paid meters for some customers currently on post-paid or estimated billing.
When contacted by our correspondent, the Asaba Regional Manager of BEDC, Mr. Gboyega Agunlejika, promised to get back with an explanation, but failed to do so as at press time.
