Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Edo governor, Monday Okpebholo, has threatened to break the monopolistic tendencies of the Benin Electricity Distribution Plc to ensure fair distribution of power to the residents of the state.
He disclosed this when he made a stopover at the take off point of the protest of the “mass action against BEDC oppressions” put together by the “Organized Edo Against BEDC Oppressions” at the Benin City museum.
Governor Okpebholo said if more persons are allowed to go into the business of distribution of power like the telecommunication companies it will ensure efficiency as all will strive to putting in their best to serve their customers better.
“I want to let you know that the only way we can fight them is to bring stakeholders into this business of distribution.
“I want to let you know, we’ll break the monopoly.
“That monopoly does not belong to one man. So, how do we do it? We have to operate like the way telecom operates, bringing different stakeholders, bringing different companies.
“We are going to have a meeting in my office tomorrow. We are bringing stakeholders together so that we can talk, engage them and see how we can bring in more investors into the business of light distribution. So when that one is done, all of us in the state will have enough light”, Okpebholo said.
Okpebholo who said he has come to join in the BEDC’s protest, admitted that everyone in the state is being short-changed by the company and that such must not be allowed to continue in the state.
“I was trying to find out what the issues are and I was told that you people are protesting I said yes we are all youth. Is that not so? Are we not? I have come to join you on the protest.
“When we are talking about short-changing Edo people, it’s all of us. My father in the village, your mother in the village, my brother in the city, all of us that are standing here. Is that not so? He asked rhetorically.
He told the protesters to send some delegates to join them up in a meeting with the stakeholders tomorrow at the Government House where issues relating to the BEDC would be discussed.
Earlier, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbidi, President, Network of Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria (NOCSON), told the governor that the residents of the state were tired of paying for darkness instead of light and over billing by the BEDC.
He noted that, the residents of the state are not Father Christmas, so, the BEDC should live up to its billings.
