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EDO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY COMPROMISED

EDO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY COMPROMISED BY FUNKE OSIBODU:

....passes law on electricity theft but refused to pass same on estimated and outrageous bills.

....Chris Okaeben spearded deal as the house chairman of power.

It was with rude shock and utter disappointment we received the information of Edo State House of Assembly passing a bill into law criminalising electricity theft and the set up of a special court for related offence.

This action of the members representing Edo people have revealed their level of insensitivity towards the plight of Edo people in the face of extortion, estimated billing and darkness that the masses have been subjected to by the inept management of the Benin Electricity Distibution Company since takeover.

While the same house of assembly have not raised a voice against the estimated and outrageous electricity bills citizens are forced to pay whether they are supplied electricity or not, they found it convenient to be compromised by Funke Osibodu through Chris Okaeben to make a law to criminalise electricity theft. Does this mean to the lawmakers that, collecting money for service not rendered not theft?

If Edo State House Assembly cannot make law to criminalise estimated billing and non provision of meters, it therefore follows they have no business to make law for electricity theft.

The Governor of Edo state, the Oba of Benin, traditional rulers and the civil society have at different instances condemn the operations of the management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company. The Governor at a time drove out the managemen of the BEDC from his office and the Oba of Benin have equally ask President Mohammadu Buhari not to renew the operational licence of the power company. The same BEDC took the civil society, youth groups and communities to court with the intention of obtaining perpetual injunction to stop them from protesting against their poor services.

Edo Civil Society Organisations is fully ready to mobilize the people against this insensitive and compromised legislature.

We are calling on the leadership and members of the state house of assembly to drop that bill now until all customers are metered and estimated billing is eradicated. Chris Okaeben who is the house committee chairman on power has never spoken against the operations of the BEDC against citizens. It should be recalled, he was at a time faced with monetary scandal involving the BEDC.

We call on Governor Godwin Obaseki not to assent to that piece of uninformed and financially induced bill when it comes to his table. He must stand and protect the interest of the people over that of a few persons. Until BEDC makes meter available to all their customers and end estimated billing, we shall resist any law that will criminalise electricity theft in Edo state. The issuance of estimated or outrageous bills is theft itself, so therefore, what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander.

EDO PEOPLE WILL RESIST THIS.

EDHA WHY?????????????????????

Leftist Osazee Edigin
Public Relations Officer
Edo Civil Society Organisations
No. 1, Sokponba Road, (ACB Building)
Benin City,
Edo State,
Nigeria.
Twitter: @alutaedocso
www.edocso.org

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Location: 22 Textile Mill Rd, Use, Benin City, Nigeria

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