AIYEDATIWA'S AIDE, ALABI TASKS BEDC ON STABLE AND EFFICIENT SERVICE DELIVERY

The Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Energy, Hon. Johnson Alabi, has tasked the management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC on optimum performance and efficient service delivery for the benefit of the citizenry.

At a meeting with  the State Committee on Electricity Regulatory Transition, and Management of BEDC PLC in Akure, Hon. Alabi noted that the complaints of electricity consumers are enormous, and tasked the distribution company to seek ways to lessen the travails and pains of the people.

He tasked BEDC to make metering processing less cumbersome, ensure easy access to electricity and guide against estimated billings which some consumers describe as killing.

The special Adviser, tasked the distribution company to urgently address other factors affecting its smooth and efficient service delivery in communities where it operates.

He said the administration of Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa is committed to improving electricity infrastructure and supply throughout the state, with the aim of enhancing a better economy, a vision which the state transition committee was fully committed to.

“We are highly concerned about what is happening in the state vis a viz the metering gap; we have also discovered that BEDC is not capable of carrying out adequate maintenance of its facilities because of the underlying issues bothering on indebtedness of consumers to BEDC, insufficient infrastructure, poor facility maintenance and consumer payments without billing”.

The Special Adviser said the state Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, frowns on reported cases of energy theft by electricity consumers and that necessitated the proposed setting up of a mobile court to ensure that such cases are prosecuted without delay.

“We believe that if more than half of the electricity being supplied goes into theft, the supplier of electricity would not be able to make much progress, especially in the area of provision of more infrastructure. This is why the state strongly frowns at it and plans to set up a mobile court to ensure that offenders are prosecuted accordingly"

Hon. Alabi, while appreciating BEDC management for honoring the invitation, expressed certainty that the meeting would yield productive outcomes, stressing that the state government was interested in the company gearing up its revenue for enhanced service delivery.

He however insisted that BEDC and other other Electricity Distribution Companies must be fair to their customers in areas of making pre-paid metres available as well as putting electricity consumers on estimated billing, saying the state government seriously frowns at that.

The Chairman, Ondo State Electricity Transition Committee, Engr. Olatunji Ariyomo, who said the story of electricity transitioning from a centralized engagement to a decentralized environment which started from Ondo State has becomesa new national norm.

“Today, we witness another opportunity of a top level engagement between the state government and BEDC Electricity PLC. This committee has resolved within the mandate of the Governor to work with you so as to enable you achieve success in the the state, and it is my hope that the deliberations will create an avenue to douse tension and create a forum to synergize efforts of the state government in the interest of the people”.

The Engr. Ariyomo, who expressed dissatisfaction with on the delaying process of the distribution of O'datiwa Pre-paid Meters, disclosed that part of the reasons why the meeting was called was to fashion out a speedy process of obtaining the metres so that the programme would be flagged off soon, adding that the transition committee was willing to collaborate with BEDC to make it a huge success.

The Managing Director, BEDC Electricity PLC, Mr. Deolu Ijose, appreciated the government team for organizing the forum and advocated more collaborative efforts to enable government and his company address areas of constraints.

“BEDC is a service rendering company, we have our limitations and we cannot boast that we will solve overnight all the issues that have bedeviled our sector, but with our collaborative efforts with the Federal Government and other key stakeholders, things are improving”.

The event was attended by members of the Transition Committee from the Ondo State Electricity Regulatory Bereau, Ondo State Power Company, Office of the Attorney General and top management staff of BEDC Electricity PLC.