More knocks for BEDC over blackout in Edo

…residents urge BEDC to take lessons from Kaduna DisCo, others

 

As public angst against the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) grows in Edo State over the power company’s inefficiency, leading to weeks of power blackout in almost all parts of the state, some residents in the state have asked the management of BEDC to take lessons from other power distribution companies in the country.

Mr Osagiede Izekor, who resides in Benin City said his parents who live in Kaduna enjoy about 24-hour electricity supply in the Northwest state, daily.

He described as “unacceptable, the total blackout that Edo residents are currently experiencing and the attendant negative impact on businesses and social activities in the state.”

Izekor said: “My parents live in Kaduna State and I go there regularly to see them. I speak with them daily and they enjoy regular electricity supply, up to 24 hours daily. The gross inefficiency of BEDC is very glaring in Edo State and I am glad that the state governor has spoken the minds of all Edo people with regard to how they feel about the electricity distribution company.”

He urged BEDC to review its business model and harken to the voice of the people before the company is thrown out of the state as its growing unpopularity can earn it a major public relations disaster.

“The company must review its practices if it wants to remain in business in the state and elsewhere. Public dissatisfaction has reached unprecedented level and the worst could befall BEDC sooner than later.

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“People could resort to attacking BEDC staff, vandalizing their rickety and wabbly equipment across the state if the company’s managing director does not come down from her high horse and serve the people that are harassed daily for electricity bills even when they are in darkness.

“The managing director cannot continue to grand stand when clearly, she is grossly inefficient and incompetent. She is the most unpopular and unwanted personality in Edo State today. Ask the market women, small and medium scale business owners about the MD of BEDC, they all have very harsh things to say about her for keeping them perpetually in darkness.”

He added that Edo people are very hospitable and accommodating, but warned the management of BEDC “not to take the people’s hospitality for granted.”

Izekor, who is a public relations expert, advised BEDC not to wait for its current unpopularity to degenerate into a crisis before resorting to reactive public relations strategy, instead, the agency should be proactive.

Backing Izekor’s claim, Mr Friday Eguavoen, who works in Kaduna State, said “Kaduna DisCo has a lot to teach BEDC,” and urged Mrs Funke Osibodu to “humble herself and learn how others are doing the business, especially from Kaduna DisCo.”

The counsels from Mr. Eguavoen and Izekor follow similar advice from several Edo groups for the management of BEDC to change their failing tactics, which informed the decision of Governor Godwin Obaseki to walk the BEDC MD out of his office, recently, when she sneaked into Edo Government House, in company of members of the House of Representatives Committee on Power, who were in the state for an oversight visit.