A civil society organisation, Edo Leaders of Thought, has raised concerns over what it described as opacity, inflated costs, and questionable practices in the power supply arrangement between Ossiomo Power Company and the Edo State Government under the immediate past administration.
In a statement issued Thursday by its coordinator, Momodu Adams, the group dismissed a circulating unsigned document purportedly from Ossiomo Power as “faceless, evasive, and lacking credibility.” It said its independent investigation revealed that the Edo State Government has no ownership stake in Ossiomo, describing the firm as a 100 percent privately owned company whose internal challenges have also affected subscribers, including government institutions.
According to the group, the arrangement with Ossiomo, inherited by Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration, was characterised during former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s tenure by fluctuating tariffs, estimated billing, and lack of transparency. It alleged that between January and November 2024, the state government paid Ossiomo more than ₦5 billion, with monthly charges ranging between ₦308 million and ₦718 million.
The statement noted that government facilities were only metered in September 2024—shortly after Obaseki’s party lost the state election—despite years of payments based on estimated billing. Tariffs charged by Ossiomo reportedly fluctuated between ₦99.97/kWh and ₦236.78/kWh, compared with the more predictable rates of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
By contrast, the group said Governor Okpebholo has introduced reforms, including prepaid meters for government facilities, which have reduced payments to an average of ₦199 million per billing cycle—a 75 percent drop from peak payments under the previous administration. It added that while the Obaseki administration paid over ₦5 billion to Ossiomo in 11 months, the current government has spent ₦1.55 billion on electricity in nine months, split between Ossiomo and BEDC.
The organisation questioned why government institutions were left unmetered for years and why the state was tied to what it called an “opaque and exorbitant billing regime.” It also raised concerns about Obaseki’s alleged “extraordinary patronage” of Ossiomo and possible undisclosed interests.
“Edo people deserve full disclosure. Transparency is not optional—it is the cornerstone of democracy and good governance,” the group said, calling for a comprehensive probe into the state’s power supply arrangements.
