Residents of Edo State have applauded the peaceful and serene atmosphere in which they marked Christmas festivities, hailing the state government for various initiatives that made the celebrations pleasurable.

A cross-section of residents in the state, who spoke with journalists, said that the celebrations went on peacefully, owing to the proactive stance of the state government, the Edo Police command and other stakeholders, who ensured that the celebrations were marked in a serene atmosphere.

This is as the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, berated the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), for throwing the state into darkness, even with the festivities, noting that the company has proven to be grossly inefficient.

Mrs. Irene Igbinosa, a resident in Benin City, said that the celebrations have been pleasurable, as the state has been peaceful and serene.

According to her, “The Christmas this year has been quite good. The atmosphere is cheerful; we are having the Igue Festival in peace, and a number of events across the city center is going on without hassles. I appreciate the state government for a number of initiatives this season. These include the new security architecture, which has deterred criminals from taking over the streets.”

Mr. Osaro Omozuwa said that though heavy traffic is a reoccurring incident during the festivities, the state government’s decision to open a new car park at the city centre and the restriction on parking has helped ease the situation this year.

“We are quite excited to see the way things are going in Benin City. There would have been a lot of traffic but we are seeing less of that this year because the state government has been quite proactive,” he said.

Calling for the withdrawal of BEDC's license due to their ineffective service in the state, Obaseki said Edo people deserve a better service provider than BEDC, especially as the state is home to 700mw-capacity Azura Power plant.

“At a time families should be enjoying uninterrupted electricity supply as they celebrate Christmas and New Year in the state, BEDC is again unable to live up to the minimum expectation of providing electricity.

“No excuse is good enough for the abysmal failure of BEDC and we appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to without delay, revoke the operational licence of BEDC and rescue Edo people and residents from the crappy service being delivered to our people who are harassed weekly by BEDC to pay for electricity that it did not supply,” Obaseki said.