Petition Against BEDC Staff for Abuse of Office, Illegal Disconnection, and Theft of Customer Property
The Manager,BEDC (Anwai Road Office),
Asaba, Delta State.
Sir,
Petition Against BEDC Staff for Abuse of Office, Illegal Disconnection, and Theft of Customer Property.
We write to formally lodge a complaint against the staff of your office, led by one Ikpi Helen, who without any prior disconnection notice as mandated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission *(NERC),* unlawfully disconnected the electricity supply to our complainant facility located at No 1 Gikanwa Street off Leo Okogwu, DLA, Asaba.
The team not only disconnected his electricity supply but also illegally removed and made away with the wire used to connect electricity to his facility. This wire is his personal property, and their action constitutes a criminal act of theft. Despite our complainant explanations and requests for understanding due to my health condition, which had just seen him discharged from the hospital, the *BEDC* team proceeded with their actions, leaving his family and the entire community without electricity.
We wish to bring to your attention that the actions of your staff have violated several provisions of the NERC regulations, which are put in place to protect customers against arbitrary disconnections and abuse of power by electricity distribution companies. Specifically, the following regulations were violated:
{1}•* NERC’s Customer Service Standards of Performance for Distribution Companies, 2007 (Section 5): This mandates that customers must be issued a 10-working-day disconnection notice before any disconnection is carried out. This notice must clearly state the reason for disconnection and give the customer an opportunity to rectify the issue.
{2}•* NERC’s Meter Reading, Billing, Cash Collections, and Credit Management for Electricity Supplies Regulations, 2007: These regulations stipulate that all payments should be appropriately accounted for and receipts should be issued to the customer. The arbitrary collection of payment through a POS device without subsequent proper documentation contravenes these guidelines.
{3}•* NERC’s Regulation on Connection and Disconnection Procedures for Electricity Services, 2007 (Section 2): This section mandates that disconnection should only be carried out in strict adherence to the procedures set out by NERC, including the issuance of proper notices and only for legitimate reasons.
The illegal actions of the BEDC team have not only caused significant inconvenience and hardship to his family and the entire community but have also exposed a grave misuse of power by your staff. We, therefore, call on your office to:
[1]. Investigate the illegal disconnection and theft of property by your staff.
[2]. Restore the electricity supply to his facility and the affected community immediately.
[3]. Take appropriate disciplinary action against the erring staff to serve as a deterrent to future occurrences.
[4]. Ensure strict adherence to NERC regulations to prevent further abuse of power and violation of customer rights.
NOTE: This letter is also copied to the Commissioner of Police, Asaba, Delta State, for necessary investigation and action, as the actions of your staff constitute criminal conduct under Nigerian law. Our client is currently on admission at the male ward of Saint Joseph Hospital, Asaba, Delta State cause his blood pressure rose and he was rushed to the hospital and is still on admission at the time of putting up this petition.
We look forward to your prompt and favorable response to this petition.
Yours faithfully,
Comrade Victor Ojei popularly called Wong Box Lead Activist for Young Nigerian Rights Organization. (Convener of BEDC MUST GO IN DELTA STATE 2019 till date)
Cc:
The Commissioner of Police, Asaba, Delta State.
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC),
Asaba Forum Office
Dennis Osadebe Way,
After Asaba Scan Center,
Beside Mobil Filling Station,
Opposite NNPC Filling Station,
Asaba, Delta State
Phone: 09062277247
Email: asabaforum@nerc.gov.ng