Youths from Okpanam community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State staged a protest at the Delta State Government House in Asaba on Thursday, decrying a prolonged power blackout and increasing insecurity allegedly caused by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC.
The protesters, under the banner of the Okpanam Youth Organization, marched through major roads in the state capital before arriving at the Government House.
They carried placards with messages such as “We say no to BEDC,”; “Supply power to Okpanam,”; and “Stop the exploitation, BEDC.”;
According to the President-General of the Okpanam Youth Organization, Mr. Lucky Okolo, the blackout has persisted for years, with no resolution despite several complaints to BEDC.
He stated that the situation has worsened due to “the company’s continued imposition of heavy estimated electricity bills, which do not reflect actual consumption and place an undue financial burden on our people.
Okolo further highlighted the link between the power outage and rising crime in the area. “The lack of electricity has had devastating effects on our community.
“Small and medium enterprises, as well as households, are struggling to function, leading to economic stagnation and job losses,”; he said.
“The absence of lighting and essential security infrastructure which depends heavily on stable electricity has left our streets vulnerable, making it easier for criminals to operate under the cover of darkness,”; he added.
The protesters called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene, stressing that BEDC’s failure to address the issue is a direct threat to public safety.
“The company’s failure to restore electricity, coupled with its insistence on exorbitant estimated billing, demonstrates a blatant disregard for the welfare of our residents,”; the group said in a letter delivered to the Governor.
Responding to the demonstration, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Johnson Erijo, assured the youths that the government is working on a solution.
“We are already aware of these issues, and we are truly sorry that you are facing them,”; he said, adding: “Please know that your Governor is also aware and shares in your pain, as you have just expressed.”;
Erijo also revealed that the government is in the final stages of implementing a legislative framework to address power supply challenges in the state.
