Some residents of Edo State have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the authorities of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDISCO, to stop the monthly collection of N750 being compulsorily levied on electricity consumers.

The petitioners – Kaduna Eboigbodin, Austin Osakue, Patrick Eholor and others – acting through a law firm, Aigbokhan and Ajanaku, said the charge was not for any discernible service rendered and is therefore “extortionary, oppressive and illegal.”

They said the contract between the company and electricity consumers is to purchase a meter and thereafter purchase recharge vouchers to service their meters, noting that in a situation where they are being supplied electricity via an analogue meter, they ought to be charged only based on relevant readings on the meter, without the additional arbitrary fixed charge.

The petitioners therefore asked that the compulsory charge be suspended within seven days, failure of which they will mobilize consumers across the state and beyond to resist the charges.