By Young Erhiurhoro
LAGOS DECEMBER 17TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The residents and business owners of Unenurhie community in Evwreni kingdom and those of Uwheru and its environs, all in Ughelli North LGA of Delta state, bitterly complained of the everyday blackout perpetually placed on the area by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Ughelli Distribution Area.
When Urhobotoday.com correspondent visited Unenurhie community recently, several small business owners like welders, motor mechanics, electricians, tailors, provisional store owners and many others grossly complained of the lack of electricity to run their business ventures in the community.
One of the business owners who spoke to our correspondent on conditions of anonymity said, “President Buhari should just tell us that there is no national electricity supply in Nigeria again. We can’t be forced to pay light bills every month and we don’t even use the light for complete three days in the month, I think this is gross national oppression to the less privileged whose votes he used to ascend the presidential seat for a second tenure.
“These BEDC workers in collaboration with the community Light Committee will forcefully collect light bills from us, even with a lot of threats. At the end, they won’t give us light to work in our workshops and stores. You can see that almost every store or workshop here has a generator to provide electricity for use. This is affecting us economically and also causing health hazards to us.
“ From the way I am seeing the situation right now, if nothing is done to improve on this power supply to us by BEDC, it will definitely cause a rift between electricity consumers in this place and the so called light committee of the community whose duty is to collect the light bills and present same to BEDC.”
When our reporter visited Uwheru main town and Ohoror community, the story was practically the same with the one of Unenurhie community as many of the residents and small business owners also complained of the total failure on the part of the federal government to put in place monitoring network to oversee the activities of the BEDC and the other electricity distribution companies across the country as NEPA was privatized.
A hotelier who doesn’t want his name on print that spoke to our correspondent at Ohoror community was of the view that a national conference should be called by the minister of power and energy to address the many challenges in the power sector.
His words: “Thank you for this fact-finding visit to our community. When it comes to supply of electricity in this community, we are on our own. You can see that almost every house here owns a generating set to supply power for use. To be frank, this is affecting us economically. For instance, I operate this hotel here. If I should tell you now the amount I spend on diesel to run my generator everyday in this hotel, you won’t believe. What we are facing in terms of poor power supply is enough to quit so many businesses in this community.
“Actually, Ohoror community is a business hub in this area but our major challenge and set back is lack of power supply by the BEDC. Yet, at the end of the month, they would force us to pay light bills to them just because they brought the light for two or three times. This is only affecting those of us at the grassroots. I mean the less privileged ones in the country. To those of them in government, they have no problem with what we are talking about here. Everything about them is done under government expenditure and at our own peril and agony as well. This is why they never feel the pains we feel over this light challenge. To me, as a business owner, if nothing is done to improve on this light supply by the BEDC, I won’t pay these light bills any more.”
All efforts to speak to the Ughelli Area Manager of BEDC and the presidents-general of both Unenurhie community and that of Uwheru kingdom for their comments on the issue of power supply proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.