12th November, 2014
Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State on Wednesday in Abuja said that protracted poor power supply to the state was militating against the economic and social growth of the state.
Fayose made the call during a courtesy visit on the Chairman of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr Sam Amadi.
He, therefore, appealed to the commission to liaise with Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) whose operations cover the state to help in restoring power supply to the state.
Fayose said that most parts of the state had been in blackout for over 10 months. “Ekiti has been in blackout since I came in as governor. All that I want is a solution to the blackout that has persisted in the state,” he said.
According to him, some communities in the state have protested the continued blackout by destroying property and beating up workers of the electricity distribution company.
“Members of the communities have to block highways preventing people from going about their businesses but following my intervention they re-opened the roads,” he said.
Fayose said that as soon as he gets back to the state, he would redeem the pledge of N5 million he made to settle part of electricity bills owed by the communities.
He urged the commission to do everything within its powers to ensure that power was restored in the affected communities as soon as possible.
“If we leave the matter hanging, it may portend danger because there have been protests by the communities in recent times,” he said.
Responding, Amadi said that the blackout in parts of Ekiti state was as a result of hitches in the transmission process, adding that the commission was working out solutions to address the challenge.
“The case of Ekiti is as a result of failure in transmission,” he said.
He said that service providers had the obligation to provide consumers with quality service while the consumers on their part had the obligation to pay their bills promptly.
Amadi said that the commission would not encourage indiscriminate disconnection of consumers from power by distribution companies.
He assured Fayose that the commission would meet with the management of the BEDC to proffer solution to the problem.
An official of the BEDC, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said that repair work on the transmission line to Ekiti state was in progress.