Asaba, Delta State — On Thursday morning, angry youths from Okpanam, a community near Asaba in Delta State, came out in large numbers to protest. They were very upset because their area had had no electricity for weeks. To show how serious they were, they blocked the entrance to the Delta State Government House, the office of the Governor.
The youths carried placards with messages like:
- “Government authority please, help us too”
- “Enough is enough BEDC Okpanam”
- “We are in capital territory but living as slaves”
- “BEDC please, give us light and transformer”
They also sang songs to express their anger and pain.
The protest started early in the morning at Okpanam Roundabout. This caused heavy traffic along Okpanam Road and nearby streets. Many people trying to go to work or school were stuck in traffic for hours.
One of the youth leaders, Chuks Onianwa, said, “We’ve lived without light for more than a month. Our businesses are suffering, students can’t read at night, and nobody is saying anything to us. This is no longer just neglect—it feels like oppression.”
The people of Okpanam say they have begged the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and local leaders to help them, but nothing has changed. They say the blackout is making life very hard and hurting the local economy.
Even though the protest was big, it was peaceful. Police and other security officers came to the scene to make sure there was no violence.
The Okpanam youths are hoping that the government will finally listen and help bring back electricity to their community.
