Residents of Benin City, Edo State, on Monday staged a protest over persistent electricity outages and the billing practices of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
The demonstrators converged at Ring Road in the city centre before marching with placards bearing inscriptions such as “We say no to BEDC oppression,” “No light, no bill,” and “Edo people say no to bulk billing.”
Governor Monday Okpebholo joined the protesters during the demonstration in solidarity.
The protesters criticised frequent power cuts, estimated billing and the high cost of prepaid meters.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Ogbidi Emmanuel said residents were compelled to protest what he described as unfair practices by the electricity distribution company.
“We pay for light, and they give us darkness,” he said, raising concerns about the transparency of the company’s free meter distribution scheme.
He called on BEDC to publish the list of beneficiaries, noting that prepaid meters allegedly cost between N150,000 and N400,000.
Addressing the crowd, Governor Okpebholo appealed for calm and assured residents that the matter would be addressed through dialogue and stakeholder engagement.
“We need to engage them to see how we can bring in more investors into the business of electricity distribution.
“Once that is done, we will all be more assured of stable power. Let us remain calm and allow the engagement to take place,” the governor said.
He explained that BEDC is privately owned and not under the direct control of the state government, but assured that steps would be taken to respond to the concerns raised.
The governor announced a stakeholders’ meeting scheduled for Tuesday and asked the protesters to nominate five representatives to participate.
“I was just passing by and saw people gathered here at Ring Road. I stopped to find out what the issue was, and they said you were protesting.
“I said, yes, we are all youths, and I have come to join you. The only way we can fight this is to bring new investors into the business of distribution.
“We will break the monopoly. We want to operate like the telecom sector, where you have alternatives. Bringing in more investors will give our people options,” he said.
The protest remained peaceful, with security personnel present to maintain order. Demonstrators dispersed after the governor’s address.
As of the time of filing this report, BEDC had not released an official response to the allegations.
