Edo Leaders of Thought, a civil society organisation, has expressed concern over alleged opacity, inflated costs, and questionable practices in the electricity supply arrangement between Ossiomo Power Company and Edo State Government.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement signed by Momodu Adams, the group’s coordinator, the organisation dismissed an unsigned document circulating in the state, purportedly from Ossiomo Power Company, as faceless, unsigned, and poorly conceived, stressing that no credible organisation issues unsigned press releases.
The group said it carried out an independent investigation into the relationship between the state and the privately-owned power firm and discovered that the previous administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki paid billions to Ossiomo under an “opaque billing system.”
It said, “For the entirety of Mr. Obaseki’s tenure, Edo State Government facilities were never metered. Instead, they operated on post-paid estimated billing, under which millions of naira were paid monthly without verifiable evidence of actual consumption.”
According to the group, records show that between January and November 2024, the Obaseki administration paid Ossiomo over ₦5 billion, with bills ranging from ₦308 million to ₦718 million per month. It alleged that the highest charges were incurred shortly after the electoral defeat of Obaseki’s party.
The group also faulted the “wildly fluctuating tariffs,” alleging that Ossiomo charged between ₦99.97/kWh and ₦236.78/kWh, while Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) maintained predictable rates of ₦68/kWh until April 2024, later adjusted to ₦225/kWh.
By contrast, the statement noted that Governor Monday Okpebholo had since introduced reforms, including prepaid metering across government offices, which reduced bills by more than 75 percent.
It added, “Today, government facilities pay Ossiomo an average of ₦199 million for every 45-day cycle, a drastic reduction from as high as ₦700 million monthly outflows under Obaseki.”
The organisation questioned the previous administration’s refusal to meter public facilities, warning that the inconsistencies suggested the existence of shadowy deals that the public is yet to be told.
Edo Leaders of Thought reiterated its commitment to accountability, stating that they are compelled to insist that these issues be brought to light.
It added, “Edo people deserve full disclosure. Transparency is not optional. It is the cornerstone of democracy and good governance.”
