By Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti
Taking action over alleged threat to his life by Benin Electricity
Distribution Company(BEDC) for confronting the distribution company
over its outrageous billings , the Chairman of the Ado Ekiti
Residents’ Consumers Association (ARCA), Dr. Ibukun Ogundipe , has
petitioned the security agencies, calling for their interventions in
the lingering crisis.
Ogundipe , who had led several protests against BEDC for allegedly
imposing what he called ‘frivolous and outrageous bills on the
residents’, urged the State Police Commissioner , Mr. Bello Ahmed
and the Director of Department of State Services(DSS), Mr. Precious
Ihenacho to wade in and prevent those plotting to kill him from
realizing the dastardly mission.
In the petition dated November 12, 2018 and addressed to the security
chiefs , pleaded with the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim
Idris to investigate those that are after his life and also provide
security cover for him and members of his family.
In the petition, Ogundipe explained how a letter from anonymous
source and dropped at the gate of his residence at Awedele, Ado Ekiti
capital city on November 9, 2018 , had warned him to be wary of the
BEDC on the premise that they were already gathering information about
how to deal with him.
The petition stated: “I have been leading this registered association
to take some lawful actions to checkmate the outrageous and excessive
bills which the BEDC serves on the people every month.
“These action no doubt did not go down well with BEDC . It is
expedient to note that the National Electricity Regulatory
Commission(NERC) had set guidelines for discos not to charge houses
on R2 and C1 categories beyond N3,100 and N3,600 respectively on
monthly basis as against N12,000 being paid and my people have been
following this template set by NERC.
“I have been the motivating factor behind the association’s hitherto
actions against frivolous bills by BEDC. This may be a reason for why
BEDC would want to eliminate me.
“I hereby plead that you institute investigations to nab those behind
these premeditated criminal assault and also provide me with security
to prevent these wicked folks from realizing their mission”, he said.
Also addressing the pressmen on the issue, the school administrator
said the fight over arbitrary billing was not a personal issue between
him and the BEDC but was done to prevent unnecessary cheating of
Nigerians .
Ogundipe added that the association which was registered with
Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC) with number CAC/TT/113270 was formed to protect Ekiti consumers from being cheated and that nothing will prevent them from achieving the task.
“After holding the March 25, 2018 public protest he BEDC reported me
to Ewi of Ado Ekiti that I wrote a petition to NHRC to indict them on
how they have been infringing on our rights, but they later found this
untrue.
“The DSS alao met with our executive and BEDC on November 9, 2018 to
mediate on this issue and the second day , they came to drop this
threat letter in my house as a threat”, he said.
In his response, the BEDC Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kayode Brown,
said the company is a responsible one and won’t descend t the arena of
threat in dealing with an issue that had been resolved by DSS.
“We are licensed to operate in Nigeria and if we have any problem with
anybody, Dr. Ogundipe inclusive, we will handle it legally using
security agencies and court of law.
“We were not responsible for this threat and I want to say that Dr.
Ogundipe should look elsewhere rather than BEDC for those hiding under this situation to threaten him”, he said.
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