UNIBEN Students Block Benin-Ore Highway Over Power Outage

On Wednesday, University of Benin (UNIBEN) students took to the streets, blocking the busy Benin-Ore highway to protest an ongoing power outage on campus. The students, who are just two weeks away from their first semester exams, said the lack of electricity has severely impacted their ability to study. The power outage is the result of a dispute between the university and the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over a significant increase in the electricity bill. The university administration expressed frustration after the BEDC increased the monthly charges from approximately N80 million to between N200 million and N280 million. As a result, the university has been forced to rely on power generators, providing only limited electricity to the campuses and hostels. “We’ve had only one hour of electricity each day since this started. We’re tired of studying in the dark. We need electricity to prepare for our exams, and the university management needs to resolve this issue,” said John Afolabi, one of the protesting students. The protest began early in the morning, with students carrying placards and chanting slogans as they blocked the highway. “We won’t leave until something is done. We can’t afford to fail our exams because of the university’s negligence,” said Sarah Osaigbovo, a 300-level student. The protest caused significant traffic disruptions, leaving many passengers stranded. “I’m supposed to be at work right now, but I’ve been stuck here for hours. I understand the students’ plight, but they need to find a better way to protest,” said a frustrated commuter who wished to remain anonymous. Despite the rain, the students remained resolute in their protest. UNIBEN spokeswoman Benedicta Ehanire confirmed that the university Senate was in a meeting to find a solution to the issue.

Power outage due to warning strike –AEDC

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC’) has attributed the power outage being experienced in its franchise areas to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) two-day warning strike. The management of AEDC made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday. “We are aware of the general power outage being experienced across our franchise; this is due to enforcement of the two-day warning strike embarked upon by the labour union. “We apologise for any inconvenience you may be experiencing as a result of this, as we continue our engagement with key stakeholders toward minimising the impact of the strike on our customers,” it said.  AEDC urge their customers to take necessary precautions to manage the outage effectively. The company advised its customer to unplug sensitive electronic devices and appliances from power sources pending the restoration of power. “We will continue to provide updates on developments regarding the impact of the strike action on our operations through our official social media handles. “Thank you for your understanding and continued support during this challenging time. We remain committed to serve you,” it said. The NLC on Tuesday commenced a two-day nationwide warning strike from September 5 to September 6.