The Edo House of Assembly, on Wednesday, summoned the Managing Directors of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), over incessant power outages in the state.

The summon was sequel to a matter of urgent public importance by Kaycee Osamwonyi (PDP-Uhunwode) at plenary in Benin.

Presenting the motion, Mr Osamwonyi said that BEDC had been incompetent in discharging its duties.

“The current epileptic power supply in the state has crippled economic activities thereby creating untold hardship on business owners.

“In some communities, politicians and individuals have been made to provide transformers for their people and the consumers in turn pay for huge bills for electricity not supplied.

“Others complain about excessive estimated billing and this ugly incident affects businesses and throws the state into total darkness that promotes criminality,” he said.

He frowned at the method of centralisation of prepaid meters by BEDC whereby some consumers in some communities were compelled to pay a certain amount of money into designated community accounts.

Mr Osamwonyi stated that it was a common practice deployed by BEDC to exploit consumers for services not rendered, adding that prepaid meters were no longer distributed to consumers.

Mr Osamwonyi urged the house to summon officials of BEDC and TCN to explain why they were not being proactive and alive to their responsibilities.

Other lawmakers supported the motion with a call on the State Government to take advantage of the liberalisation of the power sector to engage in independent power generation.

The lawmakers said BEDC lacked the expertise and competence to provide electricity for the state, saying that it had become imperative for the federal government to review the operating licenses of the company.

The Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku (PDP-Owan East 1), after extensive deliberations, asked the Clerk to summon the management of both BEDC and TCN to appear before the House on Wednesday, March 20 at 10.00 a.m.

 (NAN)