The Edo Leaders of Thought, a prominent civil society organisation (CSO), has raised fresh concerns over the long-standing electricity supply arrangement between the Edo State Government and Ossiomo Power Company.
The group, in a statement signed and issued on Thursday, September 18, by its Coordinator, Momodu Adams, dismissed a faceless and unsigned document purportedly from Ossiomo Power Company, stressing that “no credible organisation issues unsigned press releases.”
The forum said the circulation of the document only reinforces the secrecy and opacity that had characterised Ossiomo’s operations in the state.
Following what it described as years of unanswered questions, the Edo Leaders of Thought said it launched an independent investigation into the arrangement.
The probe, it noted, uncovered patterns of inflated costs, fluctuating tariffs, and questionable practices that had placed huge financial burdens on the state.
“Our findings show that Edo State Government has no stake whatsoever in Ossiomo Power Company Limited. The company is 100 per cent privately owned,” Adams said.
“The challenges facing Ossiomo are internal, affecting not just government but private subscribers as well. The Edo State Government itself was often a victim of these disruptions.”
Obaseki-era Bills questioned
The group said the arrangement was inherited by Governor Monday Okpebholo, who assumed office in 2024, but had been hailed as an innovation under former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
In reality, it argued, the deal was riddled with inflated charges and deliberate lack of accountability.
“For the entirety of Mr. Obaseki’s tenure, government facilities were never metered. Instead, they operated on post-paid estimated billing. Millions of naira were paid monthly without verifiable evidence of consumption,” the statement read.
Meters, according to the group, were only hurriedly installed in September 2024, just two months before Obaseki left office and after his party’s electoral defeat.
Between January and November 2024 alone, over ₦5 billion was paid to Ossiomo by the Obaseki administration for government facilities.
Records showed monthly charges ranged between ₦308 million and ₦718 million, with the heaviest bills, ₦673 million in September, ₦718 million in October, and ₦474 million in November, coming immediately after Obaseki’s party lost the elections.
The group also revealed that Ossiomo charged wildly fluctuating tariffs during the period, ranging from ₦99.97/kWh to ₦236.78/kWh.
By contrast, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), a regulated distribution firm, maintained predictable rates at ₦68/kWh until April 2024, later adjusted to ₦225/kWh.
“This lack of consistency in Ossiomo’s billing system was suspicious, especially when compared with regulated operators like BEDC,” Adams said.
Okpebholo Introduces Reforms
In contrast, the group noted that Governor Okpebholo had introduced reforms that brought significant relief to the state’s finances.
“He ordered the installation of prepaid meters across government establishments, effectively ending the opaque billing system,” Adams explained.
“Today, government facilities pay an average of ₦199 million every 45-day cycle, compared to as high as ₦700 million monthly under the previous administration.”
Between December 2024 and August 2025, the Okpebholo government reportedly spent ₦1.55 billion on electricity, with ₦1.2 billion allocated to Ossiomo and ₦345 million to BEDC.
This, the group said, was less than one-third of the ₦5 billion paid within 11 months under Obaseki.
CSO Demands For Answers
The Edo Leaders of Thought insisted that several questions remain unanswered:
- Why did the Obaseki administration refuse to meter government facilities for years?
- Why was Edo State locked into a billing regime without accountability?
- What was Obaseki’s true interest in Ossiomo, a private company?
- Why did the state’s bills drop by 75% under Okpebholo for the same service?
“These inconsistencies suggest the existence of shadowy deals Edo people are yet to be told,” the statement said.
The group maintained that civil society and citizens will not be distracted by faceless statements or evasive tactics.
“What Edo needs, and what we must continue to demand, is full transparency, prudent management of resources, and the protection of public interest above private profiteering,” Adams declared.
He added, “Transparency is not optional. It is the cornerstone of democracy and good governance. Edo people deserve nothing less.”