Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Residents in the major parts of Benin City have raised concern over the inability of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to live up to the January 7th deadline to fully upgraded their facilities and restore power to them.
Recall that the BEDC, early in the month of December 2023, via its circular, appealed to residents of major parts of the state to bear with them as they will not be able to give them the maximum number of hours of light as they will be embarking on upgrade of their facilities.
The circular added that power will be fully restored by January 7th, 2024.
Speaking, a resident of Ikpoba Hill, Mr. John Idemudia said it is quite unfortunate for BEDC to have come up in a crucial time such as the festive periods to say that there will not be light and that they want to upgrade their facilities.
He said that businesses under that periods were grounded especially artisans who needed electricity to do their work.
Idemudia said also that those who would have stocked their homes with perishable items could not do so because there is no light to preserve them.
Another resident, Mr. Peter Odion said BEDC has succeeded in given darkness instead of light.
Mr. Odion said before the BEDC came up with the news of the upgrading of their facilities, they were having at least six hours light in a day but now, there is not even light let alone one hour light in his area.
He queried the timing of the upgrading of the facilities noting that they should be fast about the upgrading of their facilities before they crumble the state’s economy.
Responding, the Public Relations Officer of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Mrs. Evelyn Gbiwen, while appealing to the residents to exercise a little patience, said that there will be light soon.
“We are also feeling the heat. We are sorry that we could not meet up with the January 7th deadline. The residents should bear with us till the end of this month.
“We are also losing at our own end too. The bottom line is that at the end of everything, we are going to have light”, Gbiwen said
On her part, the Public Relations Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Benin, Mrs Clement Chigozie, said residents should bear with the company as the job is already at its last stage.
“We are sorry is being delayed but the work is at the last stage for the transformer to start working, just exercise patience.
“We are sorry for the inconveniences.
” Very soon, you will have light restored back”, Clement said.