By Jethro Ibileke
The management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), has reportedly disconnected the University of Benin (UNIBEN) over its inability to reach an agreement over contentious electricity billings for the institution.
The development has thrown the entire students’ dormitories and other facilities in the University into total darkness.
It was gathered that the management of the University management expressed discontent after the Benin Disco reportedly made an upward review of the institution’s monthly electricity charges by over 200 per cent.
According to a source who asked not to be named, “The University was paying about N80 million for electricity consumption. However, the Disco suddenly increased it to between N200 and N280 million.
“Following the development and the inability of the University to pay for the utility, the BEDC disconnected the electricity supply to the University.
“The school has ever since grappled with unstable electricity supply due to its sole dependence on power generating sets.
“And the implication is that we can’t deliver on official work 100 per cent because it is only the administrative block that the generator can power throughout working hours.
“But in the case of Heads of Department offices, Dean’s and students hostels, the generators are put on for specific hours because of the cost of fueling them, in addition to noise pollution,” the source stated.
When contacted, the Head, of Branding and Corporate Communications of BEDC, Mrs Evelyn Gbiwen, attributed the increase in energy tariff to the directive of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Gbiwen who noted that the new tariff system determines what ‘Band A’ customers would pay, added that “it is nothing deliberate about any customer.”
“In one month, they (UNIBEN) were billed over N200 million, they paid N79 million. The following month, they were billed above N100 million, and they are still owing.
“It is a general policy that when customers don’t pay their bills, they will be disconnected. And it is when such customer pays his bills that he would be reconnected,” she added.
On her part, UNIBEN’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, denied the allegation that the instruction was owing BEDC.
She said: “UNIBEN is neither indebted nor is the Institution owing BEDC a dime.
“They shot up the monthly bill from N80 million to N250 million. And the school said the action was not acceptable. That is the bone of contention.”