By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives on yesterday decried over the 8 years power outage in some Local Governmentsin Ekiti State.
The lawmakers expressed the concerned while edebating on a motion on the ‘Need to prevail on the Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc (BEDC) to address the power outage in Gbonyin and Ekiti East Local Government Areas of Ekiti State’, which was sponsored by Hon.Olufemi.
Bamisile.Worried by the development, the House resolvedto invite management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) with aview to ensure restoration of electricity in the affected Local Governments.
“The House notes that the importance ofelectricity in the industrial, domestic and commercial lives of an individual,corporate citizen, towns, cities and communities cannot be overemphasized aselectricity is needed in factories and workshops for engineering and technicalactivities and desirable at hospitals and clinics for surgery and clinicalactivities and essential at schools and homes for education, comfort, lightingsand domestic use etc.
“The House is aware that under the provisionsof the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 Private Companies are given opportunities to participate in electricity generation, distribution and transmission and the Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc (BEDC) is oneof the private companies participating in electricity distribution in theCountry and also responsible for the supply of electricity to Gbonyin and Ekiti- East Local Government Areas of Ekiti State.
“The House observes that Gbonyin Local GovernmentArea consist of seven towns namely; Ode-Ekiti, Agbado, Imesi, Egbejlro,Aiyeseba, Iluomoba and Ijan while Ekiti-East Local Government Area has eleven(11) towns namely; Omuo, Kota, Omuooke, Ayegunle, Araromi, Igbesi, Araromi Oke,Ikun Oba, Ilasa, Eda lIe, Isinbode and Isaya Ekiti.
“The House is concerned that for over eightyears, towns and villages in Gbonyin and Ekiti – East Local Government Areashave been living in darkness as residents do not get electricity supply from BEDC, thereby bringing economic activities, family and social lives to astandstill with attendant consequences to the economic well-being, prosperity and health of residents as private individuals and corporate citizens transacting business in the areas are compelled to be buying diesel and fuel atexorbitant prices to power generators.
“The House is worried that residents of Communities in the Local Government Areas being are denied benefits associated with electricity supply by the failure of the Distribution Company to supply and distribute electricity to the residents and if nothing is done, they will continueto live in darkness with attendant security and socio-economic consequences.”
After the debate on the motion, the House resolved to invite the Management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc(BEDC) to interface with the Committee on Power to explain the reasons for itsfailure, neglect or refusal to supply electricity to Gbonyin and Ekiti EastLocal Government Areas of Ekiti State.
The House however mandated the joint Committee son Power and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
