BENIN CITY: Governor Monday Okpebholo on Tuesday convened a high-level stakeholders’ meeting to address electricity supply and billing challenges in Edo State, following a recent peaceful protest in Benin City over prolonged outages and metering issues.
Speaking at Government House, the governor noted the complexity of the problem and called for broader engagement with all actors in the power value chain.
“We need a holistic solution. BEDC is a service provider; we must consider all links in the chain,” he said, emphasising fairness and improved service delivery.
Governor Okpebholo, who described himself as a telecom expert familiar with metering systems, clarified that certain meter deductions are structured repayment mechanisms, allowing residents to start consuming power before gradually paying.
He directed that a larger stakeholders’ meeting be convened to include generation and transmission companies, distribution firms, and other key players, to ensure sustainable solutions.
The governor also appealed for calm and law-abiding behaviour from residents.
BEDC Managing Director/CEO, Engr. Jonathan Lawani, explained that the company currently receives about 260 megawatts of electricity, far below the 760 megawatts needed to serve its franchise area adequately.
He also warned against illegal sales of meters under the Federal Government’s free meter programme.
The meeting brought together representatives from “Edo Against BEDC Oppression,” BEDC, NDPHC, Azura Power West Africa, and senior state officials including the Chief of Staff, Commissioner for Power, and other government functionaries.
