Hundreds of residents of Warri, the economic hub of Delta State, on Tuesday took to the streets to protest the outrageous bills recently served them by Benin Electricity Distribution Company.

The protest created confusion in the city as it disrupted traffic flow and caused commotion in some areas.

The protest was said to have been sparked by an attempt by some BEDC personnel to disconnect a building at the 3rd Marine Gate.

The BEDC officials had just before then pulled down the connection cable of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Warri Correspondents Chapel Secretariat to enforce settlement of outstanding tariff payment by the union.

Curiously, the so-called bill did not bare the name of the union but that of the Nigerian Union of Teachers.

The NUJ had expressed displeasure at the recent electricity billing from BEDC in the metropolis and the alleged frequent extortion from BEDC agents. This BEDC did not take it lightly and had threatened to disconnect the union.

The Vice Chairman of the union, Joe Ogbodu, who discovered the anomaly when BEDC officials stormed the Union House to pull down their cable decried their attitude noting that they refused any explanation with the mindset to cut the cable or be bribed.

“We can’t afford to pay such outrageous bills. They often send us estimated bills even when we don’t get regular power supply. The last bill they brought read N141, 618. The month in which we owe that bill was not stated; the year was not stated.

“They just wrote the bill in one piece of paper which read; ‘disconnection notice/order’ and said we have to pay N2,000 as reconnection fee for a three-phase meter.

“It is completely strange to us that BEDC is sending us bill which either belong to NUT or could be their administrative mistake which I think should not be blamed on us.

“If BEDC call it a computer mistake, for us it is their error, not ours and so they should bear the cost. We would go to any length to contest it that the bill is not ours and I believe this is how they have been fleecing many Nigerians of their finances,” he said.

Thank you, warri people for taking on those thieves, reaping where they did not sow. I can't imagine paying for power not consumed. Do they think it is business as usual? It is necessary we refuse such outrageous charges without commensurate power supply all over the nation.
The distribution companies have deliberately refused to issue prepaid meters to consumers which is a serious breach of contract.