Oghenetejiri Nyerhovwo
Tension is rising In Ugboroke New Lay Out in Uvwie Local Government Area as some residents of the area who resisted alleged extortion to replace the bad transformer serving the area are allegedly being threatened by some concerned residents for not complying.
According to a resident in the area who simply want to be identified as Chike confirmed that the transformer has been bad since the beginning of 2022 said, “we (tenants and landlords)were made to pay between ten thousand naira(N10,000:00) and fifteen thousand naira(N15,000:00) for repairs of the transformer which was carried out to my knowledge without Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) input but no sooner than later, the transformer went bad again. To our knowledge, over six hundred thousand naira N600,000:00)was collected.”
He disclosed that the same people came again to impose another levy of between twenty-five thousand naira (N25,000:00) and forty thousand naira (N40,000:00)to purchase a new transformer without allegedly giving account of how the initial collection was spent.
Chike also disclosed that to the surprise and amazement of residents of the Layout, they woke up one morning to see another transformer brought in by the Transformer Committee who claimed that it was bought with money raised by members of the executive and some concerned selfless residents. He said that this has emboldened them to start issuing threats to anyone in the area who is asking questions as to how much was paid and why is the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), the authority concerned is not carried along as “up till this moment, BEDC has not connected it to the national grid”.
According to him, “some residents resisted while others paid . Those who resisted are being subjected to threats by the Committee. The money being targeted is over six million naira (N6,000,000:00), this is outrageous for transformer. It’s not to our knowledge that BEDC is asking us to contribute money for transformer. Is BEDC in the forefront of this drive to buy a transformer for Ugboroke New Layout and we are not aware? We are therefore calling on BEDC to live up to its billing by doing the needful.The absence of BEDC from the situation now has given room to some persons in the Layout to be in the forefront to drive this which is not right. The right thing should be done.”
Contacted, one Mr. Kesiena who is the Secretary of the Layout Committee confirmed that in their monthly meeting every last Saturday of the month, they agreed on self help as several attempts by them to notify and bring in BEDC has been futile hence they decided to contribute money to repair and subsequently to replace the transformer when it eventually went bad beyond repairs, he denied allegation of threats to residents who resist payment but he enjoined them to please pay up in the overall interest of residents.
According to Mr. Kesiena, “we have notified BEDC but they are slow in response, hence we resorted to self help, this is why the transformer we bought almost two months ago is yet to be connected to the national grid. We reached our decisions at our monthly meetings presided over by our chairman, Rtn. Nelson Onuoha, we rendered the account of how we spent the first collection we made for the repairs of the transformer also at that meeting but some persons feel to important to attend such meetings hence this complain which ought not to be so. It might even interest you to know that the backlog of money we used for the repairs was borne by our chairman personally.”
When contacted, Engr. Dave Rotimi and Mrs. Helen Ogagarue of the Public Relations Office of the BEDC affirmed that residents are not allowed to go on such self help without the full participation of the company, they advised the residents to officially acquaint the BEDC through the appropriate channels of communication not just dealing with their Lines Staff who serve/service the area.
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