Hon. Mike Omogbehin, member representing Okitipupa /Irele Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives has commended Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on its directive to Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to immediately restore light to Ondo South senatorial district. The directive was handed down to BEDC last week Thursday, the 6th of July, 2017. The order was the result of series of advocacy championed by Hon. Mike Omogbehin in company with other stakeholders from Okitipupa and neighboring communities that had been cut off the National grid in the past two and half years.
While chatting with thepolity.com in the course of a Telephone interview, Hon. Omogbehin decried the unfortunate manner in which the entire Ondo South senatorial district was cut off the National grid, adding that it has affected the economy of the district adversely. While noting that he understood the aggressive manner with which the people of his constituency expected the prompt restoration of electricity and the pressure they piled on him, Hon. omogbehin said the challenge posed by the absence of electricity supply in his constituency predated his tenure as a Representative of the constituency. Omogbehin said:” it is understandable when people expect problems to be solved promptly and automatically, but human beings are not even born automatically as it takes nine months for for a child in the womb to grow before delivery.
While it is easy to create a problem, it is very difficult to solve human problem. I inherited the electricity problem in Okitipupa and that means the problem predates me as a member of the House of Representatives; therefore people’s expectations that I should solve all the electricity problem in a jiffy, by a fiat or decree could not have been possible. ”
Hon. Omogbehin noted that he does not possess the executive power to compel the electricity distribution company (DISCO) to restore power to the district as expected by his constituents. “As a legislature, my tools are very simple : motions, association, advocacy and at best civil disobedience. All these are processes I must take one after the other,” he maintained.
The Igbotako born Representative indicated that the first process, which is the use of the instrument of motion he used in The House of Representatives to draw the attention of government to the plight of the people of his constituency in the hands of BEDC, which has thrown his constituency in darkness; he said he later proceeded to deploying the tool of association and advocacy. “You will recall that I arranged a meeting between the Minister of Power, Works and Housing and Royal Fathers from my constituency and we later made presentation to Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). As you can see, these steps are protocol – inclined and cannot be rushed. ”
Hon. omogbehin, while assuring the people of the Southern Senatorial district of the prompt restoration of electricity following the directive of NERC to BEDC promised to continue to avail the people of his constituency quality representation at the lower chamber of The National Assembly.
“I have been inundated with calls from my constituency that the personnel of BEDC have started tracing the fault, ” Hon. mike Omogbehin confirmed.
