BEDC Under Fire as Community Suffers Prolonged Blackout Over Damaged Pole
community News
Uhunmwode, Edo — Residents of Ikhuenirho community and surrounding areas along the Benin-Agbor Road in Edo State have endured over two weeks without electricity following the damage of a power pole and associated cables in a hit-and-run accident.
Despite the 2013 electricity privatization agreements, which transferred both assets and liabilities of the distribution network to the electricity distribution companies (Discos), including the obligation to maintain, repair, and upgrade infrastructure such as poles, transformers, substations, and lines, the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has reportedly shifted the burden onto customers.
According to community sources, BEDC officials demanded a substantial sum of money from residents before attending to the fault, instead of promptly repairing the damaged equipment as required under their license and privatization terms.
Frustrated by the delay and the company’s inaction, a local businessman and hotelier, took it upon himself to fix the broken pole.
The anonymous hotelier, who spoke with DAILY South Nigeria, accused BEDC of prioritizing exploitation and extortion over service delivery.
“BEDC is more concerned about collecting money from customers than attending to their problems,” he said.
He explained that his decision to intervene was driven by the heavy reliance of his hotel business on electricity, noting that many other business operators in the area lack the resources to shoulder such responsibilities and remain helpless.
BEDC which serves Edo, Delta, Ondo, and Ekiti states has faced repeated criticisms for poor maintenance of distribution infrastructure, with many communities across its franchise area reportedly forced to self-fund repairs to poles, transformers, and other equipment.
Efforts by DAILY South Nigeria to obtain a response from BEDC management on the Ikhuenirho incident were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
This latest incident adds to growing public frustration with BEDC’s performance more than a decade after privatization.
Consumers and stakeholders continue to demand stricter enforcement of the company’s obligations by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to ensure reliable power supply.
