Delta StateEnergy/power

BEDC Is Forcing Us To Buy Tariffs Every Month – Warri Residents Lament

Aghogho Dibirere, Reporting

WARRI residents in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State have accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of disconnecting them from the epileptic power source for not buying prepaid meters tariffs every month.

Stonix News gathered that, perhaps, in its renewed revenue generation drive under the new leadership, the BEDC has devised various means of eliciting money from its customers.

Some residents of Warri, particularly around Ginuwa, told our reporter that officials or agents of the DISCO now go about compelling customers using prepaid meters to buy a certain about of tariff monthly whether they have exhausted the previous one or not.

Failure to comply, the BEDC agents, who now move together in droves for fear of molestation, disconnect such ‘recalcitrant’ customer from power source.

One of the victims, Mr Ifeanyi Oyenuwa, lamented to our reporter about his ordeals in the hands of the BEDC agents.

“Early last month (December), I was at my Ginuwa office when my neighbour called me that BEDC officials came to my house to cut off my light.

“I was so frightened because I still had up to 70 units on my electricity meter. When I got home, there were many of them at my compound, close to 10 or so.

“I rushed to their office and I was told that I only bought electricity tariffs in the last four months.

“I said why should I be buying tariffs every month when I still have enough units in my prepaid meter to make do with amid epileptic power supply?

“He said “no,” I should be buying N3, 000 every month. After about an hour encounter, he said to me ‘go and buy N10,000 tariff and I will tell them to fix your light for you,’ which I had to do,” Oyenuwa, an insurance broker from Agbor, narrated.

Another victim was Mrs Victoria Ogeh a septuagenarian, who spoke to our reporter on Tuesday at her store in her inherited house located at Ginuwa junction, Warri/Sapele road.

Lamenting her ordeal in the hands of BEDC officials/agents, the widow said she was at their mercy on Friday January 20, 2023.

The widow, who eke a living via petty trading, narrated thus: “On Friday morning January 20, some BEDC officials came to my house at Ginuwa, Warri Sapele Road, Warri.

“They complained about my prepaid meter, saying it was dark, that I have not been buying tariffs for some months now; and I just bought tariffs three days ago before they came.

“They then asked me to come to their office. On Monday morning January 23, I went there and saw one of them. I showed him the paper that was given to me by the officials who came to my house on Friday.

“He looked at it and started writing down something; when he was done, he said I should pay the amount of N240,000.

“I said to him that I had no money; that it was either they employed me in their office to work for the money or nothing. They eventually chased me out of their office.”

BEDC Is Forcing Us To Buy Tariffs Every Month - Warri Residents Lament

N10,000 expensed tariff slip by Oyenuwa

When contacted on phone on Tuesday, BEDC’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mrs Evenly Biwa, did not pick her calls, nor respond to WhatsApp messages sent to her handle.

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