Ekiti Govt Demands Meters from BEDC and Launches IPP Project
The Ekiti State Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Prof Mobolaji Aluko, has called on the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to provide meters for all households in the state as a way of improving transparency, accountability and service delivery in the power sector.
Prof. Aluko made this call in Ado Ekiti during a meeting with the BEDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Deolu Ijose. The meeting was a follow-up to the one held earlier between Governor Biodun Oyebanji and the BEDC CEO.
The commissioner said that metering households would help to restore the trust and confidence of the customers in the electricity distribution companies, which had suffered from a negative image inherited from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
He added that meters would ensure that customers pay only for what they consume and avoid arbitrary disconnections and wastage of electricity.
He also sought the cooperation of BEDC in distributing the electricity that would be generated by the State Independent Power Plant (IPP), which is expected to produce 5 megawatts of power.
He said that using the overhead electricity lines of BEDC instead of underground cables would facilitate optimal distribution of the power plant output.
He recalled that the IPP project was initiated by Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration to reduce the dependence on the National Grid and provide reliable power supply to all government institutions. He said that the IPP would also be available to individuals or corporate organizations who are willing to pay for the service.
On his part, Ijose thanked the state government for its efforts to address the electricity supply challenges in the state and expressed his commitment to ensuring a stable power supply.
He asked for the government’s support in tackling the problem of vandalism of BEDC’s assets and said that an enumeration exercise of both customers and assets would soon commence as part of improving service delivery.