A Catholic priest, on Wednesday, led residents of Sapele in Delta State on a peaceful protest to the office of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over incessant power outage in the area.
The Sapele protesters warned that power outage and outrageous billing will no longer be tolerated.
Numbering over 5,000, the placard-carrying protesters vowed that if in seven days electricity is not restored, they would be forced to stage a comeback.
Some of their inscriptions read: “BEDC must go,” “Sapele needs line 33 too,” “No light, no payment of Bills,” and “Disconnect all the leaders from line 33” among others.
Rev Fr Christopher Ekibo, the priest in charge of St Patrick Catholic Church, Sapele, who led the protest, while speaking at the gate of BEDC, said Sapele indigenes were tired of living in darkness.
The priest, who brought along his electricity bills, told BEDC officials that for a long time, Sapele has lived with the reality of three hours electricity supply a day and sometimes no power supply at all.
He attributed the closure of companies in the town, especially Eternity Nigeria Ltd that has moved to Enugu, to the poor power supply in Sapele.
The priest added that artisans and SMEs are going through pains to sustain their businesses and demanded for improvement in power supply.
Others who spoke on behalf of the protesters were Comrade Cyprian Anyanwu, who demanded for the immediate supply of prepaid metres and Barr Mike Egbune who said they will continue to advocate and fight for the people’s right.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the APC, Chief Felix Anirah, said, Sapele residents were tired of incessant power failure.
He called on BEDC to listen to the people’s plight, adding “You can see they are angry, only God knows what will happen, if they return,” he concluded.”
Head, Corporate Affairs, Benin Electricity Distribution Plc., Mr Adekunle Tayo, while responding, said that the low supply was due to low generation of power to the national grid.
According to him, “the BEDC’s allocation has been nine per cent of whatever is generated nationally from which they now share amongst our four coverage states of Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states.
He said they had overdrawn their allocation for Delta State from 31 to 41 per cent, yet it is not enough to meet the required needs of customers.
Adekunle, however, assured that supply to Sapele residents will improve as soon as there is increase in allocation to BEDC from the national grid and begged the protesters to bear with them.
The post Power outage: Priest leads protest in Sapele, gives BEDC 7 days ultimatum appeared first on Tribune.
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