Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The minority leader of Edo State House of Assembly, Barr. Charity Aiguobarueghian, has lambasted the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over what he described as systemic exploitation of citizens and impunity in the power sector.
Aiguobarueghian who represents Ovia North-East Constituency I, alleged that communities are being compelled to pay additional fees to connect to transformers already provided through constituency interventions.
He made the disclosure when members of Otuedo N’ Ogbenbe (Benin Journalists Forum) paid him a courtesy visit, where he also commended the group for organising themselves to advance development in Edo South Senatorial District.
The lawmaker cited the case of Evbuomore community in his constituency, which he said had endured months of blackout due to a faulty transformer, prompting him to intervene by providing a replacement.
Despite the intervention, he alleged that BEDC refused to energise the transformer unless the community paid between M3 million and N4 million.
He further revealed that in another community, a newly installed transformer had remained unused for a prolonged period, leaving residents without electricity despite the availability of infrastructure.
“I intervened by providing a transformer, and the same people (BEDC) I are trying to help are now asking me to pay millions before communities would be connected. This is the anomaly we must address,” Aiguobarueghian said.
The Minority Leader warned that such practices deepen hardship among citizens and undermine the purpose of government interventions aimed at improving living conditions.
He called on relevant authorities to urgently investigate BEDC’s operations and ensure that electricity distribution companies are held accountable to their responsibilities.
Officials of BEDC were yet to respond to the allegations at the time of filing this report
Earlier, the Convener of Otuedo N’ Ogbenbe, Comrade Edosa Okunbo, commended the lawmaker for what he described as his impactful representation.
