Electricity tension in Edo as governor joins demonstrators

Monday Okpebholo Joins Edo Residents to Protest Power Outages
Residents of Edo State on Monday protested in Benin City over constant power cuts and the billing system of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

The protesters gathered at Ring Road in the centre of Benin City. They carried banners with messages such as “We say no to BEDC oppression,” “No light, no bill,” and “Edo people say no to bulk billing.”

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, joined the protest to show support for the people.
One of the protesters, Ogbidi Emmanuel, said residents were tired of what he described as unfair treatment by the electricity company.

“We pay for light, and they give us darkness,” he said. He also questioned the company’s free meter distribution programme and asked BEDC to publish the names of those who received free meters.

He said meters reportedly cost between N150,000 and N400,000.
Governor Okpebholo urged the protesters to remain calm. He promised to meet with stakeholders to find solutions.

He said the state government would engage investors to improve electricity distribution and create competition, similar to the telecom sector where customers have different service providers to choose from.

The governor explained that BEDC is a private company and not directly controlled by the state government. However, he assured residents that steps would be taken to address their concerns.

He announced that a stakeholders’ meeting would be held on Tuesday and asked the protesters to choose five representatives to attend.

The protest remained peaceful, with security officials present to maintain order. As of the time of filing this report, BEDC had not responded to the allegations.