By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukeu, ASABA
Residents of Okpanam community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State on Thursday brought activities at the Delta State Government House in Asaba to a halt, staging a massive protest over prolonged power outage that has crippled their daily lives for over a month.
The angry demonstrators, made up of youths, landlords, and other residents, barricaded the entrance of the government house, wielding placards with inscriptions such as “We are in capital territory but living as slaves”, “Enough is enough BEDC”, and “BEDC, give us light and transformer”.
The protest, which began in the early hours of April 9, caused heavy traffic congestion along Okpanam Road and adjoining routes, disrupting vehicular movement and leaving many commuters stranded for hours.
One of the youth leaders, Chuks Onianwa, lamented the hardship brought about by the blackout, saying the situation had reached a breaking point. “We’ve endured over a month without power. Our businesses are suffering, students can’t study, and we’ve gotten nothing but silence from those in power,” he said. “This is no longer neglect—it’s oppression.”
The protesters accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of failing to respond to repeated complaints and appeals for a stable power supply, despite the fact that Okpanam is located within the state capital territory.
Another resident, Grace Uba, a hairdresser, said, “I’ve had to close my salon for weeks now. We spend so much on fuel daily, and even that is becoming unsustainable. BEDC has abandoned us, and the government is watching.”
Security personnel were deployed to the scene to prevent any breakdown of law and order. At the time of this report, the protest remained peaceful, but the protesters vowed to continue until their voices are heard and action is taken.