Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo joined residents in Benin City to protest persistent power outages and billing practices by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company.
Residents of Edo State on Monday staged a protest in Benin City over persistent power outages and what they described as unfair billing practices by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC). The protesters converged on Ring Road in the city centre, carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as “We say no to BEDC oppression,” “No light, no bill,” and “Edo people say no to bulk billing.” The demonstration drew widespread attention as residents demanded improved electricity supply and greater transparency in the company’s operations.
Monday Okpebholo joined the protesters in a show of solidarity with the people. One of the demonstrators, Ogbidi Emmanuel, said residents were fed up with what he termed exploitative practices by the electricity provider. “We pay for light, and they give us darkness,” he said, questioning the company’s free meter distribution initiative and urging it to publish the names of beneficiaries. He added that meters reportedly cost between N150,000 and N400,000.
Addressing the crowd, Governor Okpebholo urged residents to remain peaceful and assured them that the government would engage relevant stakeholders to address the issues raised. He said the state would explore partnerships with investors to improve electricity distribution and introduce competition into the sector, drawing parallels with the telecommunications industry where consumers have multiple service providers to choose from.
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