Residents of Ginuwa area, Warri/Sapele road in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State are groaning over lack of electricity and the request by officials of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for each household to pay up N26, 000 to make up N1.5 million to fix their faulty transformer.
The faulty transformer, nicknamed ‘Toronto,’ reportedly went bad in early August, throwing the entire area in darkness and crashing power-dependent commercial activities in the area.
Checks revealed that a committee in charge of the collection of the levy has nominated a leader from each compound to persuade residents to contribute the N26,000 for the repair of the transformer which should ordinarily be fixed by BEDC – the owner of the property.
In a statement signed, but without names by the chairman, secretary and public relations officer of the committee, residents were enjoined to remit the payment before August 30, 2021.
“Dear Sir/Madam, this is to inform the compound based on the meeting that was held 11 August 2021, at Omas Hotel by Ginuwa, concerning the Toronto transformer, that each compound is to pay the sum of twenty-six thousand naira (N26,000) before 30 August 2021.
“Please, do not be an obstacle for(sic) the progress of the light. Irrespective(sic) of this, the compound, hotels, schools, should, please, nominate a delegate that will be collecting the money.
“Delegate name, phone number and address should be submitted 17 August 2021. If available, please call:……,” the undated statement read.
Meanwhile, a call put to one of the numbers attached to the statement, was responded to by one Murphy, who identified himself as the chairman of the committee.
According to him, each household is to pay N18,500 to arrive at N1 million and not N26,000 as told some tenants in one of the houses at Ginuwa, adding that August 30 is the deadline for collection, adding that our reporter should simply co-operate.
When asked what was identified as faulty in the transformer, he said the BEDC officials told them the coils were bad, adding that the BEDC officials had carried the transformer to their office along Warri/Sapele already waiting for the money before commencing repairs.
Meanwhile, Mrs Helen Ogagare, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), BEDC Warri branch, could not be reached several times on her mobile line, as it was said to be switched off, just as messages sent to her line were not responded to as of the time of filing the report.
But the Business Manager, BEDC Warri branch, Mr Ikechukwu Onuoha, while reacting to an earlier similar incident recently, told our reporter that it was illegal for BEDC officials to demand money to fix faulty transformer, describing it as criminal.
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