Consumer Threatens Five Billion Naira Suit Against BEDC

An electricity consumer based in Asaba, Mr Chuka Obele-Chuka is threatening a Five Billion Naira suit against the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for wrongful disconnection and continued refusal to comply with the decisions and directives of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC).

His lawyer, G. E. Ezeuko, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, in a letter to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of BEDC, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, demanding for remedies and notice to commence legal proceedings said: “Our client and other affected consumers had approached the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC), Asaba Forum seeking resolution of the wrongful disconnection of their electricity lines by your Mr. Edgar Ernest on June 8, 2017. The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC) Asaba Forum found for our client and other affected customers in three separate rulings it delivered, and directed your company to, inter alia, reconnect our client to the Dublina Hotels’ Transformer.

“In spite of these rulings and other efforts made by our client, your company have not reconnected him to the said Transformer as directed by NERC. By the wrongful disconnection and your continued flouting of the decisions of NERC, our client has incurred and continue to incur staggering expenses in sustaining his energy needs vide the use of generators.

“It is against the backdrop of the above that we demand on behalf of our client that your company comply with the rulings of the NERC Asaba Forum and the NERC Headquarters directive by reconnecting our client’s electricity supply lines to the Dublina Hotels’ Transformer within two days of your receipt of this letter.

“That you pay to our client the sum of N500, 000, 000 (Five Hundred Million Naira) as damages for the wrongful disconnection and refusal to reconnect him since the decisions of the NERC. This payment must get to our office within one week of your receipt of this letter.”

Ezeuko, SAN, said at the expiration of the grace period granted, his law firm shall commence legal action for fuller damages should BEDC fail to comply with the demands.

Chuka Obele-Chuka, the former NBA Chairman Onitsha Branch, stated, “I have attended the last conference with my team of lawyers. They have settled my pleadings and written statement on oath for the first of the five civil suits I have contemplated thus far against the BEDC and one Mr Edgar Ernest who saunters about as its Chief State Head.

“The two Senior Advocates handling the first suit assured me we will be at the Federal High Court registry by the 3rd of October to file the suit in which I will seek damages for the wrongful disconnection of my power line since last year.

“My lawyers have also written Mr. Edgar Ernest for a retraction of his slander against me or face a Five Billion Naira defamation suit. I am ready to curb the lawlessness of the BEDC and its Chief State Head,” he said.