By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi
For decades, the struggle for reliable electricity supply has shaped the daily experience of residents across Ondo State. In recent weeks, however, that struggle has taken a darker turn, one marked by secrecy, exploitation, and a growing sense of betrayal. The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), responsible for supplying power across the state, is now at the centre of a storm over what many describe as an “obnoxious” and “anti-people” secret tariff hike imposed without any notification to customers.
What has fuelled public anger is not only the astronomical drop in units dispensed after purchasing electricity tokens, but also the unexpected defence of the distribution company by a government official who should, by all expectations, stand firmly on the side of the people, the Ondo State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Engr. Johnson Alabi.
Across communities in Akure, Owo, and other towns, residents have been left stunned as the same amount of money now yields only a fraction of previously received units. From Alagbaka GRA to Ijapo Estate, from the heart of Owo to the outskirts of Ore, the complaints are identical: units are disappearing like pouring water into a basket.
Mr Adeola Ipinlaye still recalls staring in disbelief at his prepaid metre screen after a recent purchase.
“I used to buy ₦100,000 worth of electricity and get thousands of units,” he said. “Now, I barely get 300 units. It’s daylight robbery.”
Another consumer, Mrs Kehinde from Akure, painfully described the financial strain on her household.
“The ₦10,000 that used to give me over 200 units now gives only about 44. And those 44 units finished within a week, like a flash of lightning. What exactly are we paying for?”
As these complaints multiply daily, vending agents are equally bearing the heat.
“Customers have been giving me a tough time since the beginning of the month,” one agent said anonymously.
“₦5,000 used to give more than 100 units, then it dropped to around 80. Now people get only 22 units. Everybody is upset.”
But rather than calm nerves, the intervention of Commissioner Alabi has intensified the backlash. Responding to public complaints, he denied any tariff hike and instead claimed that what residents are experiencing is simply a migration to higher service bands, Band A and Band B, reflecting better supply.
His argument was not well received.
“You don’t just move customers to a higher band without informing them,” said Mr Olaniyi Oluwole.
“What if they don’t need or even receive the long supply hours that Band A promises? Meter everyone properly and let people choose according to their needs,” he posited.
On social media, the criticism has been harsh and widespread. A Facebook user, Segun Olajide, accused the commissioner of siding with BEDC.
“You’re not working for the people but for BEDC. You’re moving residents from one band to another without providing poles, wires, or transformers. Your claim of ₦209 per kWh isn’t correc, we are being charged ₦227.3,” he wrote.
In Owo, the outrage is accompanied by disbelief.
“It’s obvious our Commissioner is not working for the good people of Ondo State but for BEDC and a few selfish individuals. In Owo we barely get three hours of power per night — he should fear God.” Olamiposi Obajuluwa raged.
The commissioner, surprisingly, responded personally to the online criticism.
“Ondo State has since taken over electricity regulation,” he wrote, insisting that the Ondo State Electricity Regulatory Bureau (OSERB) has the power to set tariffs and that citizens must accept the “new reality”.
Even this explanation has raised fresh discomfort. Consumer advocates argue that if there is indeed band migration, then services must improve first, and customers must be consulted, not coerced. The public insists that where electricity supply becomes more stable, the units running faster on prepaid metres is expected, but tariffs must not be secretly increased under the guise of band upgrade.
“Units should retain the same naira value,” many argue. “Improved supply should not automatically translate to price extortion.”
Comrade Bamidele Adigun of the Ondo Consumer Protection Movement expressed what many now feel:
“The commissioner’s tone only confirmed the public’s suspicion that he is defending BEDC instead of addressing citizens’ hardship.”
In all these, the voice of the BEDC management at the headquarters in Akure have remained muted, fuelling the perception that the company is deliberately avoiding accountability.
Residents believe they deserve transparency, respect, and basic human dignity. In a democracy, where people pay for utilities from already stretched incomes, consumers insist they must never be treated as subjects of exploitation.
As civil society groups now prepare to petition the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for what they call a “disguised tariff hike”, the people are demanding urgent intervention from Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, to restore public trust and stop further hardship.
“We are tired of paying more for darkness,” said Mrs Kemi Ogunjobi, an Akure resident.
“If this is the new reality, then it is a cruel one,” she stated.
The power struggle in Ondo State is no longer about kilowatts and tokens. It is about fairness, accountability and the basic right to be treated as humans in a country where survival is already a daily battle. The people are watching. The people are waiting.
And the people refuse to remain silent.
Nigerian Monitor
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