WE ARE PROACTIVELY IMPROVING OUR NETWORK- BEDC, Nwadei

The Business Manager of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Mr. Curtis Nwadei, in an interactive session recently with newsmen, stated that the management and staff of the company are already proactively improving their network with a view to satisfying their customers during the yuletide season.
The Business Manager, who is in charge of the Agbor unit at Uromi Junction, gave the hint, while informing the public on the measures taken by the establishment in order to sustain the current stability of power supply within Boji Boji Metropolis and environs during the Christmas season. In his words, “If generation improves today be rest assured that we will do more than this, we are already replacing wooden poles with concrete poles, we are fortifying the wires everywhere; for the past one week our men have been in the bush trying to ensure that”.
Continuing, Mr. Nwadei, while thanking BEDC Customers, also urged them to intensify the payment of their bills, saying, “Like everybody will acknowledge now that there is electricity supply everywhere more than it used to be previously and that means your bill will be high in commensurate measure with what you have used. Soon the bills will be out, I urge all to try as much as possible to pay their bills because it is just what they have consumed; if the customers agree that the quantum of energy they are receiving is far far higher than what they used to get, the only way they can tell us thank you, is for them to keep the palm wine, kolanut and beer but pay the bill; that is the only way we can serve them better.
“Because we buy virtually every equipment that we use in the business; the ladders, poles, transformers, cables, etc and if they don’t pay their bills it is going to be difficult for BEDC to attend to any fault whenever it arises; hence it is advisable that when BEDC sends you bill for your consumption, you are expected to pay .”
Speaking further, the Business Manager enjoined their customers to cooperate with the company’s officials while performing their duties. If they are doing things that the customers don’t like, rather than fight them, aggrieved customers should go to the office at Uromi junction to report the defaulting staff. Continuing, he encouraged residents to report to the office whenever they see any illegal connection, warning that the person doing the illegal connection will make them pay for what they did not consume and whatever fault the area is having as a result of such illegal connection, will make residents in the area to remain in darkness.
When asked if Akumazi and environs are now enjoying stable electricity due to the newly energized feeder serving the areas, the business manager responded by saying “yes” and “no”, explaining that, “yes” because the people in those communities are now getting power supply more than what they used to get before BEDC did the job, and “No”, because it has not been stable as they think it should have been.
He noted that the reasons for the above, is that the lines in those communities have never been used to regular voltage the way it is now, so it has been experiencing wire snap (wire cut) and charter insulators. In his word, “these are the teething problems that will affect the lines until it stabilizes, which is far better than what they were getting in the past”.
When asked about what is delaying the issuance of prepaid meters to BEDC customers that are in dire need of the meters, Mr. Curtis Nwadei disclosed that the distribution companies are having two conflicting directives from the same government, saying, that, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Company (NERC) is asking them to give out the prepaid meters free of charge, while the Supervisory Minister is saying that customers should pay for the prepaid meters; So, BEDC is still waiting for clearance from both of them. However, as a company, BEDC is ready to adhere to their agreed resolution, as soon as instructed.”
The Business Manager, Mr. Nwadei encouraged BEDC customers to always go to the nearest office to report their complaints whenever they have issues. He enjoined customers to ensure they write their name, phone number, address and the nature of the complaints in the notebook at the office, advising that when the fault persists beyond a day, “feel free to come to the office at Uromi junction to report, we will take it up, thank you,” he concluded.