Power Outage: Angry Youths Shut Down Benin-Ore, Lagos Expressway

…..Ask FG To Immediately Revokes BEDC Licence

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

Aggrieved youths from the southern senatorial district of Ondo State under the umbrella of the United Action Democracy (UAD), on Wednsday paralyzed vehicular and commercial activities on the Benin-Ore-Lagos expressway for close to five hours over the power outage in the areas.

The youths were protesting the total electricity blackout in the six Local Government Areas of Odigbo, Irele, Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese Odo and some parts of Odigbo, which has crippled and rendered business activities useless in the senatorial district of the state.

The over hundred angry youth who had gathered as early as 7 am blocked all the routes that led to the Benin-Ore-Lagos road and disallowed movement of transports and passengers, armed with placard bearing various inscriptions, such as “Restore Light Back To Ondo South, “Revoke BEDC License”, “10 Years Darkness Wetin We Do”, “ODSG Has Failed Us”, “This Total Blackout Has Crumble Our Business”, “Agboola Ajayi Is A Wicked Man”, the youths said that the government has failed them as the total blakout in the area has caused them more harm in their day to day activities.

They accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of plunging the communities into total darkness, which has empowered many unemployed youths to take to into crime in the area.

The ring leader of group, Kunle Ajayi who led the protestors said that the youths decided to shut down the busy expressroad after all dialogue with the government had failed to restore electricity to all the affected areas of the southern communitie.

Ajayi who accused the officials of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, (BEDC) of deliberately cutting off the district from the National Grid said there was need to revoke the licences of the power company with its over billing estimates on the consumers.

He noted that the power outage has further paralyzed major business activities in the southern areas of the state mostly for those who need electricity to power their trades.

According to him, the problem of the non-payment of electricity bill which had been the excuse of the electricity company should not be vested on consumers who had been consistent with the payment of their electricity bills.

His words, “For over ten years, our people have been living in a perpetual darkness and this government has kept mute over our plight despite many plea.

“In fact, the current government in Ondo State under Governor Rotimi Akeredolu used this epileptic power supply for its campaign and nothing has since been done till today.

“But it is unfortunate, and rather for them to address the issue, same government was paying people to attack us since we have refused to back down in our agitation for the restoration of light to the areas.

“So, Our demand is that we want the licences of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, (BEDC) to be immediately revoked by the Federal Government.

“We awant the government under Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his Deputy Agboola Ajayi to immediately stepped down because they have failed us completely.

“We are also asking the government to immediately restore electricity to these affected local government areas in the senatorial district of the state because this suffering is now enough for our people.

“Although, some of our members who were to join this protest were earlier arrested but they have been freed and now we are giving this same government another 14 days to address our plight hence we all return back to the street”.