Niger Delta
Electricity: BEDC Protests E-Wallet Blocking In Edo
Agents of CitiServe, a billing aggregator with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest at the BEDC head office in Benin over blocking of their e-wallets.
The protesting agents, who are from BEDC franchise states of Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Delta, said they have been shut out of businesses since April, following a misunderstanding between BEDC and Citiserve.
They carried placards with various inscriptions such as “BEDC/Citiserve enough of the suffering”; “refund our money, we can not wait any longer”, among others.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mrs Maureen Gold, a BEDC agent based in Asaba, said the protest was to demand the unblocking of their e-wallet to enable them carry out their businesses on BEDC platform.
“We are agents with BEDC aggregator, Citiserve. We have been doing business with them for the past six years but on April 30, they had issues and BEDC and blocked our e-wallet.
“And some of us have figures like N400,000, N500,000, N1 million in their e-wallet and we cannot access the money to carry out our businesses.
“Our money have been tied down for over five months now. We are demanding the payment of our money and we would not leave here until the money is paid”, she said.
Responding, Mr. Akintunde Akinlabi, BEDC Head, Billing Department, charged the protesters to channel their energy towards Citiserve, who, he said, stalled the payment.
Akinlabi said, “When we severed relationship with Citiserve, we understood that some of their wallets still have some money with us and we contacted Citiserve to provide us with information but they declined.
“We asked them to come so that we know the agents we are owing, about 480 came out of 1,007 agents.
“And BEDC management said we should get the remaining agents to know the total money in order to get a global approval for them to be paid,” he said.
He explained further that when they met with Citiserve managing director and the agent representative in a zoom meeting, the MD categorically said that if BEDC decided to pay the agents with the balance on their terminal, BEDC would pay for eternity.
“So how do we go ahead to commence payment when the company they have direct contact with is asking us not no pay and they are aware of this.
“We are not saying we are not going to pay, but Citiserve has not availed us the balance of their terminal.
“We have also told them to get everybody together and let’s know what they have on their terminals.
“And if that is impossible, do us a letter on your association’s letter-headed paper for us to know you are representing the 1,007 agents in our franchise, stating that only the 480 agents have balance in their wallets.
“And that any other agent that comes outside these, we should not attend to them but they have refused to write us the letter.”
According to Akinlabi, “when we demanded for their terminals, out of the 480 that claimed having money in the wallets, only 250 of them provided their terminals for us to know if they have money in it.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Urban Development and Physical Planning, Rt Hon Evans Bipi, has eulogised Gen Gabriel Asabuja over his recent birthday celebration in Port Harcourt.
Bipi said Asabuja is worth celebrating following his numerous contributions and support to the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
He described Asabuja as a strong pillar of governance in Rivers State, adding that the Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning is happy working with him.
He noted that Asabuja’s position as a team leader of the Ministry’s taskforce has been amazing, saying the Ministry is proud associating with him.
The former lawmaker hinted that since Asabuja assumed office as leader of the taskforce, the Ministry has witnessed tremendous improvement.
Bipi said the Ministry will always stand by him to ensure that the dreams of the Governor Fubara-led government are achieved.
On his part, the celebrant, Gen Gabriel Asabuja expressed gratitude to God and the Commissioner for the honour done him.
Gen Asabuja also commended Governor Fubara for his tremendous and good leadership in the State, saying his group will continue to give the Governor maximum support in order to achieve more for Rivers people.
Gen Asabuja described Rt Hon Evans Bipi as one of the best brains working with the Governor, saying under Bipi, the Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning has shown capacity to leverage on the Governor’s mantra of Rivers First.
He said both the personnel of the Ministry, the Directors and adhoc staff are happy with his style of leadership.
The Joint Provincial Council, East of the Niger, Anglican Communion, held its 2025 Annual General Meeting at St. Michael’s Church, Rumuomasi Deanery, Diocese of Evo from Saturday 15th — Sunday 16th February, 2025.
The meeting which had the theme, “Kept By His Mercies”, with text from Lamentations 3:22-23, had the Archbishops, Bishops, their wives, Chancellors, Financial Secretaries and Synod Clerical Secretaries of the 58 Dioceses as delegates.
At the opening ceremony on Saturday, the Dean of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and Chairman of the Council, Most Rev Blessing Enyindah, charged delegates to stay focused and committed to the matters for discussion and implement decisions reached for the growth of the Church in the region and the advancement of the business of God’s Kingdom.
Most Rev Enyindah, who is also the Archbishop of the Niger Delta Province and Bishop of the Diocese of Ikwerre, lauded the Diocese of Evo for the giant strides recorded in just 15 years of existence while tasking the leadership not to rest on its oars but to strive further to complete the work of the Kingdom in their hands.
Addressing the council in his welcome address, the Bishop of the Diocese of Evo and host of the Joint Council, The Rt Rev Innocent Ordu, welcomed the delegates, and reminded them that the theme is apt and fit as it reminds the Church of God’s inexplicable and instructible mercy towards mankind, which supersedes His righteous judgements.
Bishop Ordu further lamented the many challenges bedeviling the country, such as skyrocketing cost of living, ravaging sicknesses and ailments, proliferation of harmful drugs, natural disasters, high level corruption in public offices, inept political leadership, amongst others, which he said could not consume mankind because of God’s mercies.
In their separate speeches, delegates saluted the Diocese of Evo for willingly accepting to host the council and the comfort they enjoyed during their stay.
Earlier, the council appointed the Synod’s Clerical Secretary of the Diocese of Evo, Rev (Canon) (Dr) Ebenezer Owhor as the Assistant Secretary of the Joint Council.
Also, before the commencement of plenary, the women of St. Michael’s Church, Rumuomasi Deanery thrilled delegates to good traditional tunes and dance steps while His Royal Highness Eze( Sir) Raymond Chinda led the chiefs and elders of Rumuomasi community in Oropotoma Kingdom, to appreciate the council for choosing the community to host the meeting.
They solicited for prayers of peace, unity and development from the council.
The meeting ended on Sunday evening while the Archbishops and Bishops worshipped in various churches in the Diocese of Evo.