Ondo south presents proof of illegal cut-off from national grid

• NERC summons BEDC, others

As requested by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), leaders of Ondo South district yesterday submitted evidences to substantiate their claim that the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) illegally disconnected their four local governments from the national grid.

According to a statement, the indigenes, under the aegis of Bring Back Our Light (BBOL), had complained to NERC that BEDC disconnected the entire Okitipupa, Irele, Ese-Odo and Ilaje local government areas from the national grid since 2014 despite having numerous electricity consumers who are not indebted to the company and are with proof of tariff payment.

Among the evidence submitted to NERC in Abuja are:
• Due diligence audit report of the committee set up to review the outstanding debt owed BEDC;
• Samples of outrageous estimated bills; bills for houses which were prepared after disconnection; receipts of payment to BEDC for meters yet to be supplied till today; bills showing credit balances before disconnection in 2014; and estimated bills given to customers, despite having meters.

Also submitted were samples of “billing register history report of communities” without electricity supply over 10 years ago.The team led by Mike Omogbehin, representing the affected areas in the House of Representatives, lamented the destruction, which the disconnection has caused to the economies of the four local governments and different means of livelihood of the people since 2014.

Other members of the team include, former Chairman of Okitipupa Local Government, Solomon Bitire, who is the chairman, planning, strategies and implementation committee of BBOL; Elder S.T. Aderehinwo, a technocrat in electricity billing and chairman of Due Diligence Audit Committee on Electricity debts; and Pastor Olumide Akinrinlola, the administrator of BBOL.

Following the submission of the evidence, NERC yesterday summoned a meeting of all the stakeholders, including BEDC to her office in Abuja on July 6, 2019 with a view to finding a lasting solution to the crisis.