NewStats: 3,262,332 , 8,176,846 topics. Date: Sunday, 01 June 2025 at 08:14 PM 2o1c4z

BENIN CITY—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has threatened to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, if the company continues to keep the people of the state in darkness.

The governor accused the company of alleged criminal extortion of the people through their billings despite the fact that they failed to fulfill their obligations by giving electricity to the people.

Oshiomhole handed the warning to BEDC management at a meeting in Benin City.

Governor Oshiomhole decried the indiscriminate disconnection, failure to deliver power to the people and exploitation of the consumers through exorbitant charges.

He said: “We have had a couple of conversations with you, with your Managing Director and your senior management over the unacceptable deterioration of the services that you provide as a distribution company, and the prohibitive charges that your company imposes on the people of this state, and even the arrogance with which you respond when consumers genuinely raise concerns about growing darkness and rising bills.

“It is absolutely unacceptable in a civilized society that because you are a private monopoly, you resort to tactics which are meant to destroy the economy of this state and make life miserable for families and create such confusion that, if not arrested, you will not be able to survive in this state.

“In different parts of Edo State, when protesters raise concerns which you cannot fault, namely that you do not invest in the provision of transformers, and therefore, in many cases they are in the dark for weeks, months, some of them nine months, and even the few places you provide light, maybe three hours a day, you charge bills that are as high as 30 hours a day, and when they protest, you arrogantly disconnect them. As we speak, the traditional ruler in Auchi tells me you have shut down supply to that area, and all the businesses there, hotel owners have come to complain.

“In different parts of Edo South, Edo Central, the story is the same. And as the governor of the state, I have continued to appropriate public funds to provide facilities that ought to be provided by Benin Electricity Distribution Company. The government has no business buying transformers which is part of the cost which a distribution company should take on board. We take taxpayers’ money to buy these transformers and with or without power supply, you collect exorbitant rates.

“When I hear as you have often done that you have shut down in Igarra, in different parts of the state, including Benin area and Esan area, because people protested in a manner that you don’t approve of, you resort to abusing your power by disconnecting them. If you abuse your power like that, and I respond the same way, as I have the power to revoke your certificate of occupancy of the property that you own in Edo State,  you will not be able to do business in this state without the approval of Edo State Government.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/power-outage-oshiomhole-threatens-withdraw-bedcs-c-o-edo/

LMAO so even Edo State doesn't have Common Electricity

Nigerians always paying for services they never received,smh.

Nice move Governor.

eyes don dey clear, share is fash-ole the minister of darkness.

FG is threatning banks

Edo state gov. is threatning PHCN

Is this goblin of a governor not aware BEDC can only DISTRIBUTE what is GENERATED to them?

Mr man, if you have issues better forward a complaint to the Department of Rocket Science in the Federal Ministry of Darkness and stop making a nuisance of yourself.

See them life's, the once privatised is not working but rather siphoning the innocent citizens yet the dulard are still planning to privates more. Nonsense brains in power.

Why blame the distributor when you didn't generatel

Make we hear word jare, them no dey pay tax?

No be all una be govt wey sitdown conclude say make this people increase tariff?

Abi na today una know say dem dey bill us for wetin we no dey get?

Beautiful move by the peoples governor

Nice move...even tho i enjoy light were i live in Benin.

Nice move by Gov. Oshiomhole. Other governors won't speak of predicament caused by NEPA not NEPA but EEDC no or BEDC... whatever you call them. Scammer! thief!! duper!!!

BEDC and all other EDCs in Nigeria are just thieves and Oshiomole is 100% right.

All these EDC are thieves...

They must probably be billing people for sunlight... Cos I see no justification why electricity bill should be this high in this perilous time..

How I wish our governor delta state can speak 4 us like dis, just becos dey protested in Udu local govt area of d state, we've not seen light for more dan 2mons

This guy owns major shares in BEDC, he plays to the gallery so Well. Pretending to take sides with the pple when you are the one ripping them off

Comrade, am with you on this. If possible, please quit them

You are the problems improper privatization? The companies are now using power to exploit citizens shamelessly and until now no other state govt has spoken or taken steps to confront these companies and their attitude to Nigerians. The very same reasons NEPA was privatized is still being experienced with private companies. I believe Fashola was deceived to believe that more tariffs will translate to more power.
These companies are not ready for more power but more cash in their pocket.

Ahmd:
LMAO so even Edo State doesn't have Common Electricity

dats nt true....nt all part in edo state....were i live for instance we enjoy 12hrs of electricity.6hrs on 6hrs off,6hrs on 6hrs off.....those in Upper can attest to it.

Lara boo don mad....where him wan see gas use generate power...wen my noble brothers in the SS are answering the supreme call

Electricity companies, banks, communications companies and other public service providers are SCAMMERS!!!

Osho don vex

So the governor wants them to give what they don't have?Is he aware that those companies do not generate electricity.Smh

Why in Neva blame minister of darkness finish in come dey hold am on innocent people

In my area in Edo state 6hours off 3 hours on...imagine we are suppose to have light now 6am to 9am but they refuse to bring it, ........BEDC's is a scam in Edo state.........

For once I say thumbs up for oshiomole,if u live in Benin u will feel the pains and agree with the Governor, my bill was over 21k last month and I got light lets say for 22 days and about 9hrs on each day and out of d nine hours I'm only at home for 3 hrs.abeg how my bill was take reach 21k??.?.

Bedc will be like tell Dat to the Avengers!

Hmm! I jst wish fashola exibited half of dis common sense b4 assenting to their request to increase darkness tarriff, but for where, d elitist doesn't consider d common man in his decisions.

if u dnt live in benin, you won't understand. In May, they tripled our charge. Even d unit they claim we hv consumed for d month, our meter is yet to get to dat figure. Even after complainin, they said they want to cum n inspect all our electronics. Is there any sense there? Wat is now d essence of havin a metre?

Bensondrums:
dats nt true....nt all part in edo state....were i live for instance we enjoy 12hrs of electricity.6hrs on 6hrs off,6hrs on 6hrs off.....those in Upper can attest to it.

Hmmm, I wonder which part of upper you mean. Upper mission? Upper Siluko? Upper ekenwan? Cos it definitely is not upper sakponba.

In upper sakponba, it used to be a regular 6 hrs on and 6 hrs off but these days, instead of bringing it by 12 noon to take it by 6pm,they bring it by 12 noon, take it by 12:10 and they are done for the day. Recently they switched to 3 hrs within the normal 6 hrs they are supposed to bring it but that was even not perfect. The truth is, if you don't stay at home, you think all is well but it is not.

since privatisation of electricity in naija, it has worsen than when it was been controled by NEPA/ POWER HOLDING, May God help us in this country.