Cable thieves blamed for Edo power outages by Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Osamwonyi Atu, has voiced frustration over the persistent issue of electricity blackouts plaguing parts of his constituency, including Abudu. He directly attributes these prolonged outages, which have affected approximately seven communities for over 15 years, to rampant infrastructure vandalism and sabotage, particularly the theft of electrical cables. This situation, he explained, significantly hinders ongoing efforts to restore power and fulfill his campaign promises.

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I promised during my campaign that, by the grace of God, we would bring light and other development to our communities.

Atu, a member of the All Progressives Congress, also touched upon political tensions, accusing opposition parties of attempting to disrupt his recent re-election flag-off rally. He emphasized that his supporters managed the situation peacefully, contrasting their approach with the alleged readiness of the opposition to engage in conflict.

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Though my tenure is not up to three years, l have started the project, but we are facing constraints. While working, some individuals vandalise the cables.

Highlighting his performance, Atu presented a "verifiable" scorecard, detailing numerous projects across all wards in his constituency. These include school construction and renovation, provision of boreholes, installation of street and solar lights, and the establishment of community halls. He also pointed to significant educational support, such as awarding over 100 scholarships to students in various tertiary institutions, with some beneficiaries already graduated and others still fully funded.

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Some members of the opposition tried to be funny by bringing a protest to our rally. We do not believe in violence. We engaged them, but they were ready to fight while we were not.

Speaking to journalists in Benin, Atu reiterated his commitment to improving the lives of his constituents and assured them that his priority remains service delivery. The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) Regional Head, Henry Dafe, corroborated the vandalism issue, noting that a project nearing completion in 2025 was severely damaged by thieves who stole copper wires and lightning arresters.

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There is no ward that I have not touched in terms of projects. I told my people to speak if I had not delivered, and they confirmed the projects were there.