WARRI – Activuties at the Benin Elecrtity Distribution Company, ( BEDC) Warri District was for several hours disrupted last Friday as electricity consumers in their numbers came out to protest against the untold suffering they are going through as a result of epileptic power supply as well as non-availability of electricity in their area.
The protesers who marched through major streets including Eboh, Ogboru, Obahor and Ginuwa in Warri South Local Government Area f Delta State, were carrying out the protest for the second day. They comprised old women and children who are coincidentally on holiday, and youths from Ogboru, Obahor and Eboh streets in the heart of Warri, Warri South Local Government of Delta State.
Staff of BEDC who were already at their duty posts,in order to avoid being caught in the imbroglio, took to their heels as the angry protesters besieged their office.
The disenchanted protester, who were armed with fresh green leaves and chanting songs like: “we nor go pay o, we nor go pay, NEPA people we nor go pay,” were denied entry by armed anti-riot policemen who were swiftly deployed to maintain law and order.
The protesters described as ungodly the continued payment of electricity bills for what they did not consume.
According to them, most of their businesses, which are anchored on electricity, have collapsed due to non-availability and sometimes epileptic power supply for the past six months in their domain.
Speaking with Nigerian Observer, a protester who gave her name as Esther Ogbede said,
“Since I returned from school, I have not been able to use the light to do anything; sometimes I need to read and do research through my computer device, but now no light.
“Also, the weather is hot; no fuel to buy; our food items get perished, everything increases: so let the light be the way it suppose to be because we are tired of this problem,” she said frustratingly.
A middle-aged man, John Omorini, who also decried the epileptic power supply which, he said, has affected his business, said “the company should be taken over by the government.
The visibly angry BEDC customer, alleged that the woman who is in charge of the company is not reliable enough; saying some of their staff have not been paid for some months now. They called on the government to reverse management of electricity to reverse to the status quo.
A petty trader Mrs. Theresa Amumega, lamented the ugly development which, she said, has lasted for six months.
She told Nigerian Observer in Warri pidgin that: “my two fridges don spoil because of this issue; when them bring the light, them go off am back once, just OFF and ON, the light nor dey waste time.
“If dem bring one hour for one day, them go bring bill of one month; this problem don reach six months now, even person do illegal na arrest, so let them give us the light to use well,” the septuagenarian pleaded.
The anti-riot policemen who were deployed to enforce law and order , were seen trying to calm frayed nerves of the angry protesters, assuring them that officers of the BEDC will attend to their plight.
