In recent times, BEDC have disconnected various communities in Edo state because community members have resisted their unfair business practices in their domains just the way they manhandled one Innocent Okpara using military to brutalize him for owing electricity bills. They have disconnected Ekae, Sokponba, Ugbor, Etete and other communities alleging the civil society groups insistence on the reconnection of Innocent Okpara and his brutalization by army attached to the white men working with them who ordered the assault.
It should be noted that after several appeals from the Committee on power and energy led by Hon. MD Igbas of the Edo State House of Assembly to jettison the protest of bypassing of metre which was to serve as deterrent to BEDC and their co-travellers not to disobey any court order, leadership of Edo Civil Society Organisations respecting our lawmakers, directed members to suspend operation bypass of meters for the time being while we allow them handle the issues we brought before them.
Another Reason we had to backtrack on the issue of bypass of meters was the realization that BEDC uses it as an excuse to steal money collected from customers, for instance, if they collect 10 million naira, they will go to Abuja to say they collected 4 million naira and pockets the rest, alleging that Edo people are on bypass of meter hence such meager revenue. In the real sense of it, they were cheating other stakeholders in the value chain. Since we suspended the operation bypass your Meter, they have not be happy as there is no more story to say in Abuja to steal from the system. They wish we are still on bypass of meter so as to continue their thieving practice, we know their antics and we will not give in.
Their wickedness on their customers will lead to the eruption of protests next week by different communities they have disconnected for no reasons. The people are not satisfied enough that civil society groups are yet to chase BEDC management out of the state by anything possible.
More details as it unfolds.
FUNKE AND HER TEAM MUST GO!
Comrade Osazee Edigin
PRO
Edo Civil Society Organisations
www.edocso.org
