...We received the petition; internal auditors investigating, says BEDC spokesperson
The Managing Director of Korax Hotel and Suite, located along Uduere, Agbarha-Otor Road in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Felix Ukpije, has raised alarm and petitioned the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over its alleged refusal to connect his hotel to the national grid, despite fulfilling all requirements and receiving approval for commissioning.
In a petition addressed to the BEDC Managing Director through the Chief Technical Officer, Benin Zone, Engr. Kingsley Atseyinku, Mr. Ukpije expressed frustration that despite meeting all conditions for connection, BEDC has failed to commission and activate electricity supply to his facility.
According to Ukpije, “While waiting for the commissioning, BEDC customer and MD of Jetob Hotel and Suite, Hon. Efe Tobor, who is also SSA to the Governor on Inter-Party Relations and who had earlier donated his poles and conductors to BEDC, told me that my hotel would not be connected unless I pay him a huge sum of money.”
The petition continues: “The MD of Jetob Hotel and Suite, Hon. Efe Tobor, requested I must pay him a huge sum of money before I will be connected, and till date, my transformer has not been commissioned because he is insisting on the payment. I also want to draw attention to the misconduct of the Ughelli BHTO, who has compromised and asked me to go and settle with Hon. Efe Tobor before I can be connected.”
Mr. Ukpije further stated that when the matter was initially reported, the Ughelli BHTO, Regional Head (Warri), and CTO Engr. Atseyinku acted by disconnecting Jetob Hotel and Suite’s power supply. However, to his surprise, the power was restored without resolving the underlying issues.
Expressing disappointment, Ukpije said, “The same BEDC officials who once said the MD of Jetob Hotel and Suite had no right to deprive anyone from connecting to the national grid are now telling me to go and settle with him before I can be connected.”
He also alleged that the CTO, Engr. Atseyinku, to whom the petition was addressed, failed to act on it. He suggested the situation looked suspicious and accused BEDC’s Warri Regional Head and Ughelli BHTO of colluding with Hon. Tobor to frustrate his hotel’s connection.
When contacted, BEDC’s Head of Branding and Corporate Communications, Mrs. Evelyn Gbiwen, confirmed the receipt of the petition and stated that the company’s internal auditors were currently investigating the allegations.
Efforts to get a response from Hon. Efe Tobor were unsuccessful, as he declined to comment over the phone, stating, “I can’t speak to someone I haven’t seen. Let the person come to my office or go ahead and publish.”
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