DELSU Students Decry Recurrent Blackout In Off-Campus Hostels, Task BEDC On Improved Service Delivery

BY PRECIOUS UTI

Students of Delta State University, Abraka, have decried recurrent blackout in the university community, urging the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to improve power supply off campus.

The students made the call in an interview with our reporter over the weekend.

One of the students, Comr. Confidence Telije, a-400 level student of Mass Communication and Senator representing the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies in university’s Students’ Union Government said the irregular power supply is negatively affecting her schedules.

“If I’m to rate the frequent power supply in a scale of 100, I will say 50”, Tilije said.

“I cannot exactly say I enjoy the light neither can I say that there is no light. I’m not satisfied with the light.

“The light affects my studies, they bring it sometimes at night but sometimes they don’t bring it at all, and I will be forced to come to school for ‘AWOKO’ to read because there is light in most of the departments in school. If there is no light to charge my phone and laptop, how will I read my slides and type my assignment?”

She urged the BEDC to have a fixed time table for electricity supply.

“The BEDC should have a scheduled time they bring the light. If you ask me I will like them to bring the light in the evenings because most students are not home during the day and it will only favour the traders and while the students will be left out”.

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On her part, the Vice President of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Comr. Valerie Hilary, also a-400 level student of Mass Communication, complained bitterly about the recurrent blackout in the university town, narrating how she previously ended up wearing rumpled clothes to class due to power outage that it impossible for her to iron her clothes.

She said: “We don’t usually have light in my hostel, and even if they bring the light, we cannot still use it due to low current.

“I won’t really say it affects my studies because I read in school most times but it affects other activities. Without light we can’t get water to bathe neither can we charge our gadgets, most times I have to go to my friend’s place to take my bath”.

Another student, Deborah Ewajane, a-300 level student of Pharmacology, also attested to these claims.

“I only have electricity in my area a few times, there is no light to read at night, no light to charge phone and power bank. I go to pay-charge to charge. Most times, during resumption there is shortage of light”

“The electricity authorities should bring the light even if they will designate time that a particular area will have light, at least let’s know the particular time that we will be having light for so we know when to expect light and when not to.“

Also, Rejoice Ovie, a-300 level Accounting student, expressed similar concerns regarding the power outage.
According to Ovie, the recurrent blackout challenge has affected many students living off campus, compelling them to seek other alternatives to complete their school activities.

She urged the management of BEDC to ensure regulated power supply off DELSU campus.