The University of Benin has been disconnected from the electricity supply by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company due to a disagreement over a significant increase in the institution’s electricity bill.
This development has left the university’s dormitories and other facilities in total darkness. The issue arose after BEDC increased UNIBEN’s monthly electricity charges by over 200 percent according to PM news report.
“The University was paying about ₦80 million for electricity consumption. However, the Disco suddenly increased it to between ₦200 and ₦280 million,” a source stated.
Unable to pay the new charges, UNIBEN was disconnected from the electricity supply. As a result, the university has been relying on power generators, leading to unstable electricity.
The source added, “We can’t deliver on official work 100 percent because it is only the administrative block that the generator can power throughout working hours. But in the case of Heads of Department offices, Deans, and students’ hostels, the generators are put on for specific hours because of the cost of fueling them, in addition to noise pollution.”
When asked about the situation, the Head of Branding and Corporate Communications at BEDC, Mrs. Evelyn Gbiwen, explained that the increase in energy tariff was due to a directive from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. She said, “In one month, they (UNIBEN) were billed over ₦200 million, they paid ₦79 million. The following month, they were billed above ₦100 million, and they are still owing. It is a general policy that when customers don’t pay their bills, they will be disconnected. And it is when such customers pay their bills that they would be reconnected.”
On the other hand, UNIBEN’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, denied that the institution was owing BEDC. She stated, “UNIBEN is neither indebted nor is the institution owing BEDC a dime. They shot up the monthly bill from ₦80 million to ₦250 million. And the school said the action was not acceptable. That is the bone of contention.”
