Over 20,000 residents and numerous business owners in Ughiole and Ubiane communities in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State have dragged the management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) Plc to the National Assembly over alleged nine months power outage in the area.

Newsmen reports that the communities and business owners who lamented the inability of the electricity company to supply them light alleged that they are being punished for no fault of theirs.

A petition signed by Adamu Deco Suleman on behalf of the communities was addressed to the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, National Assembly, Hon Esosa Iyawe, a Labour Party lawmaker representing Oredo Federal Constituency.

The petition was titled, ‘Public petition against the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for failing to resolve the prolonged power outage in Ughiole and Ubiane communities, Etsako West Local Government, Edo State’.

Suleman attributed the prolonged blackout in the communities to the vandalism of the step-down infrastructure that powers over five transformers, perpetrated by unknown individuals nine months ago.

He opined that the step down transformers exploded as a result of the siphoning of oil from the facilities by unknown vandals, which worsened the plight of the residents.

According to him, when the incident happened, the community leaders promptly alerted the staff and management of the BEDC in the Auchi Business District.

He alleged that, due to the nonchalant attitude of the BEDC to come to their aid, the communities set up a fundraising committee to raise funds for the repair or replacement of the damaged infrastructure.

He explained that the communities have not been able to raise the estimated cost of over N8 million required to procure a new stepdown due to inflation and fluctuating exchange rates.

Suleman, however, expressed regrets that the response from BEDC has been characterized by indifference and neglect.

“Ever since the incident, no stakeholder meetings have been convened, and both communities have been left to endure the hardships of living without electricity, with neither BEDC management nor government intervention forthcoming.”

According to him, due to the continued blackout, the communities had to petition the National Assembly to help them conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and compel BEDC to promptly provide a replacement stepdown to restore power to the communities.

“We urge the committee to understand the urgency of the situation and dispatch a delegation to witness the conditions firsthand and compel relevant government agencies to expedite action on the resolution of the power outage.

“We also want the committee to ensure that, following the restoration of power, BEDC should compensate the affected residents for the dereliction of duty and the hardships endured because the inhabitants of the communities have fled to neighboring areas, thereby worsening the level insecurity, and decimating the local economy, which heavily relies on electricity,” the petition added.