Just As The Governor of Edo state Returned from Vacation As If Planned Benin city has been Thrown into Darkness and The sound of Generators
How Many Hours of Electricity Do you Get Everyday ? Nigerians React ! Add yours
The GRA was not Spared as Ihama boundary Adesuwa and many Other Locations Have been in Darkness just as The Governor Returned
The blackout has caused water scarcity in parts of Bénin City such as Upper Sokponba, Ihinmwin, Second East circular, Evbuotubu, Ugbowo, Ekenwan Road and several other areas. Owners of boreholes using generator to pump their boreholes have hiked the price of water. Electricity It was gathered that 20 litres of jerrycan now cost N30 instead of N10 while 50 litres sells for N60 from previously N20.
While this pains are on, the Benin Distribution Company (BEDC) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) have continued to trade blames on which body was responsible for the black out.
The CEO BEDC Mrs Funke Osibodu was Walked out of The Governor’s Office a Few Months Ago by the Governor . This Coincidence of Zero Electricity Just as The Governor Returns baffles Pundits
A statement from the Edo state government said Osibodu was asked to leave the governor’s office for “failing to meet obligations to electricity consumers in Edo and throwing the state into darkness for weeks.”
The statement added that the governor was surprised to see the BEDC boss among the visiting lawmakers, as her name was not on the original list of expected guests.
Once he knew she was in the building and part of the delegation, Obaseki simply lost it and asked her to walk out.
Obaseki explains his action
Addressing the delegation after Osibodu left the building, the governor said the BEDC has refused to cooperate with the state government to provide stable electricity to the people of Edo.
Obaseki said, “The BEDC has been an obstacle all the way. They will not provide electricity and will not allow you to get alternative sources of power. The state will not allow it.
How Many Hours of Electricity Do you Get Everyday ? Nigerians React ! Add yours
“As Governor of Edo State, we have lost confidence in the BEDC. We don’t want them here. We are in darkness. Let us remain in darkness until we find people who are capable of delivering electricity. This is our position.”
According to the governor, even though Edo generates about 600 to 700 megawatts of electricity, the people are still in darkness.
Obaseki added that to assist the BEDC on power supply, his government set up the “electricity committee across the local government areas chaired by the Deputy Governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, with the BEDC as a member, to understand the challenge. But the BEDC frustrated our resolve to finding a lasting solution to the issue of providing electricity to our people.”
BEDC reacts to Governor Obaseki’s action
Reacting to the development, the BEDC said Mrs. Osibodu had joined the House of Representatives Committee on Power, officials of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, BEDC, the Transmission Company of Nigeria and the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, to Edo Government House in order to update and assist the state as it seeks for solutions to the recent power-related challenges.
In 2013, the Goodluck Jonathan presidency unbundled the state run Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) by selling the generation, distribution and transmission components to private investors. The move has yielded little in terms of improved electricity to homes and businesses.
Even though the Buhari administration claims to have significantly improvedelectricity supply to Nigerians, erratic distribution to homes, incessant power cuts, load shedding and blackouts are still agonizing challenges for longsuffering citizens of Africa’s most populous nation.
“Sitting down here I can tell you some states have almost 24 hours of power supply,” Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, had said at a programme on Channels Television.
Fashola’s comment sparked mixed reactions. While Shehu Sanni, senator representing Kaduna central, taunted the minister saying the states enjoying almost 24 hours powersupply are in other planets, some corroborated what Fashola said.
Here is a social media campaign on the number of hours that people get electricity supply and here are some of the reactions:
How Many Hours of Electricity Do you Get Everyday ? Nigerians React ! Add yours