Electricity consumers in three states Ondo, Delta and Edo have vowed to stop what they call satanic, vicious and illegal collection of a N750 fixed charge from them by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDCO, whether or not they use electricity each month. They have promised a show down with BEDCO by taking to major streets in Benin City and other state capitals, to occupy all BEDCO offices on Monday 17 March 2014 and remain outdoors until BEDCO agrees to stop the exploitative charge which they say is unknown to the Electric power reform Act. The consumers allege that by the illegal collection, BEDCO has committed to fraudulently enriching its management at the expense of poor, hapless, innocent and ignorant Nigerians, who crave electricity at home and for business but do not get any during the month. Prince Osaze Edigin and Marxist Kola addressing newsmen in Benin City on behalf of Anti-fixed charge electricity consumers forum said that, according to the Electric Power Reform Act in section 1, subsection 4-1every DISCO shall issue bills for electricity USED at each consumers supply address at regular intervals. They said, the intent and purpose of this law was for consumers to be billed for electricity consumed either with prepaid meters; you recharge or with analog you are charged for that which you used. The law never provided for charging citizens fixed fees like BEDCO is doing. If you buy a N1,500 recharge for your prepaid, BEDCO collects N750 as fee; if you consume N2,000 a month on analog meters, they give you bill of N2,750 . It is this N750 we want removed. We do not know why BEDCO is charging us this money. Fixed charge for what? They are not maintaining the meters or replacing faulty electric poles and they are not even supplying prepaid meters for which many have paid and are yet to get them since last year. Moreover they charge us VAT. So we say the fixed charge is bogus and must be dropped. On the nature of the protest, they said we have a prepared an address for the BEDCO which we are circulating on air and online, using social media and we will carry placards containing our grievances . All consumers who have been forced who pay this fixed charge are invited to the mass protests. Efforts to get the reaction of Mr Victor Osibodu, Chairman of Vigeo Limited, owners of BEDCO on the consumers allegation was not possible as he was said to be outside the country. However, an official who pleaded anonymity said the fixed charge is an idea of the Nigerian Electricity regulatory commission and not BEDCOs. He said, Nigerians are very funny. We have said before that the fee is not our creation; we only inherited the situation at PHCN and are trying to improve on what we met. We met PHCN collecting the fixed charges, why did the consumers not protest then?.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 10:23:39 +0000