By Joelson Esiete
Electricity consumers from more than twenty streets in Uvwie local government area Thursday staged a massive protest over prolonged power outages.
It took the intervention of the chairman of Uvwie local government Honourable Ramson Onoyake and some members of his Exco including the vice chairman, Honourable Henry Biyibi to prevent the protest mainly by women of affected streets from turning violent
The protesting women chanted songs and rain abuses on officials of Benin Electricity Distribution Company,BEDC over it’s total darkness to consumers.
The protesting women alleged that officials of BEDC were only interested in the collection of bills and thereafter provide them blackout .
The protesters vowed to block the Effurun roundabout and other major roads to press home their demands.
They expressed dissatisfaction with behavior of the business manager of BEDC who the women accused of wrong utterances.
The chairman of Uvwie local government Honourable Ramson Onoyake addressed the women at Refinery junction and at the Effurun roundabout.
He thanked the protesters for being peaceful while the protest lasted.
The Uvwie Council chairman told them the power outages is a National emergency that is affecting many people especially the poor.
He however promised to step into the problem and ensure that BEDC restores electricity to consumers
Honourable Onoyake recalled how he intervened in a similar protest years ago and the affected consumers had power supply for more than two years..
The Uvwie Council chairman then fixed a meeting for Monday next week at the Council’s Secretariat at 12noon where BEDC officials, Council officials and affected electricity consumers would meet to resolve the prolonged power outages in the locality.
