The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has announced the restoration of electricity to the Iguosa community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State after a year-long blackout due to a transformer failure.
Speaking in Benin on Thursday, BEDC’s Chief Technical Officer, Engr. Lawani Jonathan, expressed appreciation to the managing director, Deolu Ijose, and the board for resolving the issue. Jonathan explained that the blackout began when the community’s transformer broke down and later caught fire while undergoing repairs at a vendor’s facility.
He noted that efforts to procure a replacement transformer encountered several difficulties, causing the extended power outage. However, the board eventually approved the relocation of a transformer from another area to resolve the issue.
“We had to repair a vandalized transformer and replace damaged cables to restore electricity to the community,” said Engr. Jonathan.
The BEDC official condemned the effects of vandalism on the company’s infrastructure, citing incidents of theft at the injection substation and damage to control cables and transformers.
He apologized to the community, expressing personal disappointment as a native of the state over the prolonged disconnection from the national grid. Jonathan praised the residents and leaders of Iguosa for their patience, understanding, and peaceful demeanor throughout the crisis.
Jonathan expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for overseeing and supporting BEDC throughout the process. He assured communities with damaged transformers that repairs would be prioritized to restore power before Christmas.
He also revealed that BEDC was ramping up efforts to combat vandalism by launching public awareness campaigns and working closely with local leaders and security agencies. Jonathan highlighted the importance of protecting electricity infrastructure, stressing that it was essential for maintaining consistent power supply.
“Recently, we apprehended some vandals in Ekiti and Benin who are now in police custody, and we are determined to tackle infrastructure sabotage,” he stated.
He emphasized BEDC’s dedication to enhancing power supply and prioritizing customer satisfaction through shared responsibility and strengthened security initiatives.
