The Ekiti State House of Assembly has again shown that it will not shirk its responsibility of protecting the interest of the constituents who voted its members in. On Tuesday, 23 August, the Assembly made a resolution that is worthy of emulation, not only by other Houses of Assembly in the nation, but also by all persons in positions of authority.
The Ekiti House resolved to summon the top management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to appear before it to explain why residents of the state live in darkness, despite the exorbitant fees they are charged monthly. The resolution was sequel to a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Ikole Constituency I, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Chief Olugboyega Aribisogan. The lawmaker observed that houses and businesses in major towns of Ekiti State had been crippled by lack of electricity, despite the recent hike in price of the service.
All members of the Assembly were in unison that it was extortion on the part of the BEDC to throw the state into darkness when it staffers distributes bills of exorbitant fees monthly, disregarding the distribution company’s failure to render the service paid for. Besides, the House frowned at the refusal of the electricity company to provide the customers with pre-paid meters, citing deliberate intent to continue to defraud consumers as the excuse. They also lamented the situation where electricity damaged transformers are left for consumers to repair, as this is a responsibility of the companies.
There abound many reasons that the position of the Ekiti lawmakers should be considered of worthy of emulation by all persons in positions of authority. One, the recent hike in electricity has been revolted against by virtually all important stakeholders in the industry. A competent court of law had also ruled against the hike. Yet, the increase in price is yet to be reversed.
Also, the Federal Government has not denied that electricity is not in very short supply to the masses of the nation. It only promises improvement that is yet to materialize. Thousands, perhaps, millions of Nigerians have paid for pre-paid metering devices that would ensure that they pay for only what they consume, yet, the meters have remained unavailable. Monthly, staff of BEDC and other distribution companies go out on disconnection exercise, after having supplied about two hours of electricity, usually on the day they plan disconnection. They allegedly receive bribes from consumers who would rather not risk disconnection despite the unavailability of the commodity. Where they disconnect, they cart away wires bought by the consumers themselves, claiming that anything connected to the grid had become government property. Consumers later get back such wires by paying various fees.
The actions of electricity distribution companies are fast becoming autocratic embarrassment to the Federal Government, despite the unavailability of the commodity they are expected to provide. It is trite to say that it would do Nigerians a lot of good if those in authority would rise up to condemn this bad trend.
Even if we, Nigerians, accept that the Federal Government is doing what needs to be done for improvement in electricity supply and distribution to be achieved, it stands logic on its head for the people to be paying for what is yet to be provided. But there appears to be a conspiracy to allow the electricity companies to continue to rip off Nigerians.
What the Ekiti State House of Assembly has done is a clarion call to all people in government and other positions of authority to protect the interest of ordinary Nigerians. The pervasive believe is that the electricity companies are now private. But they now receive monies from other private entities for services not rendered. Just like the members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly argued, houses, welders, barbers, hairdressers, many other artisans and the organized private sector members pay through their noses for the electricity that is nowhere to be found. This is, to say the least, unfair. Even a Federal Government organ, which has not been unbundled, has no right to receive payment for any service not rendered.
Let other Houses of Assembly and organizations that have the force of law cry out to the electricity distribution companies to obey the court order restraining the hike in electricity tariff pending when the Federal Government would have solution to the epileptic power supply, so that Nigerians would stop paying for electricity that they don’t have with salaries they have not received.
Written by Stephen Gbadamosi
