By Rotimi Ojomoyela – Ado-Ekiti
The Organised Labour in Ekiti State, has called on the Benin Electricity Distribution Company(BEDC) to meter all electrified buildings in the state to avoid unwarranted extortion of consumers through outrageous estimated billing.
Aside from that, the labour called for improved electricity to the state to justify the monthly bills being charged by BEDC and in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive on one- house -one -metre policy.
In the same vein, the trade unions advised the Ekiti State Government to ensure quick completion of the ongoing water projects in the State to checkmate rampancy of water-borne diseases via unrestricted access to clean water.
The chairmen of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Com. Sola Adigun and Nigerian Labour Congress(NLC), Com. Kolapo Olatunde spoke, on Friday, during a visit to the BEDC’s office at Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti to demand distribution of meters to all electricity consumers in the state.
The trade unions had last month led a protest to BEDC, where they lambasted the company for shortchanging Ekiti in terms of electricity supply and billing.
While addressing the management of the electricity company, the TUC chairman, Com. Adigun expressed concern over the delay in the distribution of prepaid meters to consumers in the state.
According to him, “if every house is equipped with prepaid metres, it will check cases of overbilling and also improve the income of the company”.
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Adigun lamented how some communities in Ekiti were being subjected to total darkness ranging between five and seven years, describing this as a factor contributing to poverty in the country.
“The BEDC needed to Justify money being paid to it by consumers through stable electricity. It is sad that what are paying for was darkness, because hardly could you get a place or community in Ekiti where they enjoy 12 hours of electricity daily”.
Adigun’s colleagues in the NLC, Com. Olatunde, frowned at the underutilization of the 132 KVa facilities in Ekiti, saying it has not been deployed to add value to augment electricity supply in the state.
Kolapo called on the State government to ensure completion of the ongoing water projects, noting that insignificant percentage of Ekiti residents have access to potable water.
The labour leaders also visited the office of the Ekiti State Water Corporation, where they explained that many communities lacked access to potable water, hence the need for government to act fast and complete the ongoing water projects across the state.
In his response, the BEDC’s Business Manager in Ekiti, Mr Olawale Adewolu, promised that the company would improve on its services to consumers and fashion out how ways to ensure that people have values for their monies.
Adewolu, however, disclosed that prepaid metres are available for owners of new houses at BEDC.
