Ekiti State commissioner for public utilities and infrastructure, Deji Adesina, has assured Benin Electricity Distribution plc (BEDC) of the state government’s commitment to partner it to enable it achieve its corporate objectives, even as he canvasses prompt payment of electricity bills by citizens of the state.
Adesina gave this assurance during a town hall meeting held at Olojido Palace, Ido-Ekiti, at the weekend.
Adesina, according to a statement from BEDC, said the plea for electricity payment on regular basis was informed by the fact that responsibility for the collection of revenue shared by the entire power sector value chain rested on BEDC, hence only prompt payment of bills could facilitate the realisation of such objectives.
The commissioner noted that the idea of prompt payment of electricity would enable BEDC serve the people of Ekiti State better, since it was only one of the company’s four state of operation.
He also requested that the BEDC should outsource the procurement of prepaid meters to licensed contractors since, according to him, it was the only way to ascertain the customers’ actual consumption.
Speaking at the occasion, Ernest Edgar, chief state head for Ondo/Ekiti, said, “BEDC is entitled to only 9 percent of whatever power is generated in the country, and this will be shared among the four states under the company’s coverage.”
Edgar said the prompt payment by the customer was the only antidote for more power to the customer, and explained to the audience different payment channels available to the customers, which include Point of Sales (PoS), commercial banks, ATMs or online payments.
He advised customers not to give cash out but rather use any of these means made available by BEDC.
In another development, as the country explores the diversification of the economy as a means of ensuring national survival following the continued drop in the prices of crude oil, Edgar said “electricity is a crucial enabler for sustainable development and growing prosperity in the area of agriculture.” BEDC, he further noted, was an enabler and willing to partner with government, citizens and potential investors on economic re-generation.
Edgar, who made the assertion, further said there was hardly any branch of agriculture electricity should not be employed, made the remarks in a paper titled “Electricity as an Agricultural Enabler in Ekiti State,” which he presented at the Ekiti State Agricultural Summit held at the Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Iyin Road in Ado Ekiti.
He highlighted the various uses of electricity in agriculture, which includes fertilizer production, Irrigation, storage and agro-allied Industries.
According to him, the various roles the BEDC will play in agricultural Industrialization of the state will include construction of dedicated feeders embedded generation, advisory services on locations where constant power is assured.
He said that BEDC was ready and willing to partner with Ekiti State to re-generate her economy through Agriculture and enjoined Ekiti State Government to partner with BEDC on how to strategically locate, an agro allied Industries where quality and constant power supply can be guaranteed.
Mr. Edgar noted that electricity was the prime mover of the economy of any nation and there was no industrialization without it, adding that it was imperative at this point that the economy was diversified with agriculture being in the forefront, saying “we must join forces to power agriculture to empower Ekiti State and ultimately propel the nation.”
In his presentation the BEDC chief took participants through the power sector landscape which included the value chain in the its inherent challenges adding that BEDC as a company, its strategic improvement included; construction of over 360km of distribution networks, installation of over 25 power and 450 distribution transformers, and improved customer care services in the four States of its operation among others.
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