On Wednesday, aggrieved youths from the Okpanam community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State besieged the entrance of the Delta State Government House in Asaba, protesting against prolonged power outages and alleged exploitation by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
The demonstrators brandished placards with inscriptions such as “BEDC, Stop Ridiculing Us—We Pay Bills, Give Us Light!”, “We Say No to BEDC Supply Plan to Okpanam!”, “Stop the Exploitation!” and “We Are in Capital Territory but Live as Slaves, Please Help Us!”
Addressing journalists during the protest, the President General of the Okpanam Youth Organization, Mr. Lucky Okolo, attributed the escalating insecurity and rising crime rates in the community to the persistent lack of electricity.
He accused BEDC of deliberately withholding power, issuing inflated estimated bills to residents, and neglecting to upgrade or invest in the community’s electricity infrastructure.
The protesters presented a list of demands, including a comprehensive investigation into BEDC’s operations in Okpanam, restoration of steady power supply within seven days, implementation of transparent billing systems, mass deployment of prepaid meters, creation of a joint oversight task force, and installation of adequate transformers.
In response, the Chief of Staff to the Delta State Governor, Mr. Johnson Erijo, commended the peaceful nature of the protest and assured the youths that their grievances had been noted and were being taken seriously by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration.
He acknowledged that the blackout had created serious security risks, including increased criminal activity, and confirmed that the lack of street lighting was contributing to a surge in kidnapping and violence across Okpanam.
Erijo revealed that the state government is in the final stages of formulating a legislative framework to enable energy sector reform, leveraging the recent liberalization of the power sector under President Bola Tinubu.
He expressed optimism that once implemented, the new framework would attract independent investors and end the monopoly of inefficient distribution companies.
“Even here in Government House, we face the same issues—you’re not alone. But your Governor is proactive.
“We’re almost at the final stage of enabling a framework that will allow for sustainable and accountable energy solutions across the state,” Erijo stated.
The protest underscores the growing frustration among residents over electricity supply issues in Delta State, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in the power sector to address the challenges faced by communities like Okpanam.
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