Edo Residents Protest Against BEDC Power Outages

On Monday, residents of Edo State, including Governor Okpebholo, participated in a protest in Benin City against persistent power outages and high electricity bills imposed by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC). The demonstration commenced at Ring Road, where participants carried banners with slogans such as "No BEDC, No Light, No Bill." Ogbidi Emmanuel spoke on behalf of the residents, condemning the oppressive practices of BEDC, which he claimed provided inadequate service while charging high estimated bills.

The protest also called for transparency regarding the distribution of prepaid meters, which reportedly cost between N150,000 and N400,000. Governor Okpebholo urged calm among the protesters and promised to engage stakeholders to attract investors to improve electricity distribution.

He acknowledged that BEDC is privately owned and not directly controlled by the state government but assured that concrete steps would be taken to address residents' concerns. A stakeholder meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, inviting five representatives from the protest to participate.