Community in Asaba demands action over long power cut

Residents of Fear God Street in Bonsaac, Asaba, Delta State, are angry with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company and local electricity committee members. They say they have been left in the dark after many failed attempts to fix a broken transformer.

The residents claim they have spent millions of naira to repair and replace transformers in their area but are still without power months after the latest repair. They also say they are being asked to pay again for a new 750KVA transformer.

Mr Michael Morah, the chairman of the Bonsaac 1 Transformer Committee, spoke to our reporter on Monday. He denied taking or misusing money from residents. He said all contributions for the new transformer are going into the community’s bank account.

Morah explained that the transformer broke down on July 25 after previous repair tries failed. He said the community reached out to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and other authorities but got no response. This led residents to decide to raise money for a replacement transformer.

“I disagree. I’m not extorting money from anybody. Nobody is paying money to me. Where they are paying money is to the community account,” Morah said.

He also mentioned that the community had an old account that became inactive but was reactivated to collect money for the new transformer. Morah disputed claims that residents were charged N4.8m and N5.3m for two repairs.

“We didn’t levy anybody to pay. We only asked those who have connected light and not paid. At the meeting, we decided they should collect money from those people to repair the transformer,” he said.

Morah challenged anyone who claims to have paid him for repairs to show proof of payment. As complaints grew about how funds were handled and the leadership of the transformer committee, the community set up a panel to look into the allegations against Morah.

Mr Okolo Gred, the chairman of the committee, talked to our reporter on Monday. He said the panel has finished its report but has not discussed it formally because Morah has not called a meeting.

Gred noted that some residents want Morah to step down after being chairman of the transformer committee for over ten years. “The committee came up with their report, but the chairman, who is Michael Morah, has not been able to call for a meeting. If he had called for a meeting, we would have discussed and maybe accepted the report,” Gred said.

He added that the committee does not only want to hold Morah accountable but also wants the community to elect new leaders. “Personally, and some members of the community, what we want is not just to make him explain what he has taken, but for him to step down so that others can be elected,” he said.

Gred said residents continue to call for Morah’s removal and a new election. But this has not happened because there has been no meeting to look at the committee’s findings. He also mentioned other complaints about the committee, including issues around payments for electricity connections.

Still, the main worry for residents is getting their electricity back after the transformer failed. The community has started another round of contributions to buy a new transformer.

A message shared among residents indicates they are aiming for a new 750KVA transformer. Contributions are set at different amounts for property owners and businesses. According to the schedule, duplexes will pay N50,000, flats N25,000, while shops and self-contained apartments will contribute N12,500. Filling stations and bars are expected to give N100,000 each. Schools and churches are also listed as contributors.

Morah said he is not the one deciding the cost of the new transformer. He added that residents have seen different price estimates. Some have been told a 750KVA transformer could cost over N20m, while another quote is around N12.5m.

Morah emphasized that his job is to support the community’s decision and ensure contributions go through the right account. Residents have been without power since July, with many using generators and other power sources. They are calling on BEDC and NERC to step in, saying the repeated fees and failed repairs have added extra financial stress. Attempts to get comments from BEDC and NERC about the complaints were unsuccessful at the time of this report.