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Still on the Ban of Using Generators By Shehu Mustapha Chaji
A solution that will ginger up and trigger the fast implementation of policy that will make electricity more constant to Nigerians is seem to be on hand, courtesy of The Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of PHCH , Engineer Bello A. Sulaiman . Daily Trust of February 3, 2009 featured the news with the caption” PHCH Staff banned from using generators at home”.
The latter issued a directive that the management of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCH) has banned all it’s workers from using electric generators at their residences. He said the decision is to remind the workers of their responsibilities. According to him, decision such as this will ginger up the workers to face the battle of electricity outrage with passion. He added “Let us feel the consequences first before any other customer. We owe it a duty not to have generators in our houses for cadres of staff. We believe this will remind us on our responsibilities anytime there is no light”.
The management of PHCH should be commended for such initiative. Our leaders at the Federal, State and Local government’s levels should be the first in issuance of such directives. Though the government admitted failure in the power sector which had even led the present administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua to include provision of stable and constant electricity supply among its 7 point Agenda.
The necessity and relevance of power supply to the development of all sectors of human endeavor in our present times makes it the starting point for nations to attain greatness. Specifically, lack of constant supply of electricity is major factors that have led to closure of many industries that had in the past provided employments to hundreds of thousands of Nigerians. Those in operation are finding it difficult to cope due to the high cost of running generators for their production. It also led to inflation as providers of services do add extra cost to consumers. The life of common and average Nigerians have been miserable as they spent their nights in darkness.
Nigerians have been waiting for decades praying and hoping that someday, this country will attain the level of interrupted power supply as obtainable in other countries. It is sympathetic to note that some of our neighbouring countries do spent years without interruption in power supply. Governments do come and go promising to solve the electricity problem, but they have woefully failed in that sector. The present administration also promised to fix the electricity problem, but with almost two years in power Nigerians have not seen much improvement in the sector.
Perhaps one of the reasons that have made Nigerian leaders not to concentrate on solving the electricity problem is that they never stay in their offices and residences without electric generators, which are run for almost 24 hours a day. The availability of the electric generators which provide them with constant light and the ability to use their electrical gadgets has made them to forget the rest of the Nigerian populace living in darkness.
It is high time if Nigerian leaders really have the plight of masses at heart to imitate the directive given to PHCN workers. Leaders lived by example, and it is all about sacrifice, for followers to have all the basic necessities of life.
President Yar’adua to be successful in fulfilling his campaign promises which provision of constant electricity is among should as a matter of national urgency issue directive for the ban of using electric generators in his office, residence, guest houses and wherever he attends public functions. The same directive should be extended to all federal ministries, agencies and parastatals all over the country and the residences of all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Executive Directors e.t.c.
On the part of National Assembly, The Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives should also issue their directives that using of electric generators is banned within the National Assembly Complex and residences of all Senators and Members of the House of Representatives.
At the State level, governors should issue directives of ban of using electric generators in their respective State houses and same applied to Commissioners, lawmakers, Chairmen, Councilors and top government officials in the states.
The ban on the use of electric generators to be more effective in helping the government arriving within the shortest time possible solution to lack of constant electricity in Nigeria , the ban should be extended to all banks, airports, media houses, five star hotels and filling stations. May be it is because some of the important institutions in our day to day life also resort to the use of electric generators that the government also feel relaxed to finally find a lasting solution to electricity problem.
Among the reasons that made late Sheik Umaru Ta’ambu (advocate for independent presidential candidacy) to be loved by the people of Kano was that as a very rich merchant, as he has said in so many interviews that he never uses his electric generator as he cannot be comfortable with running generator while his neighbours and masses in the locality cannot afford, so he prefer they all stay in the dark.
If the government is really serious about provision of constant electricity to types Nigerians, it should ban the importation of generators. All types of generator sets are been imported into our country. When going round the major streets all over the country, many shops are engage in selling of generator sets. The government can send a strong signal to Nigerians that it is about to provide constant and stable electricity by banning the importation of generator sets.
With the present global economic recession threatening many countries of the world. The banning of using of generator sets will make our government save a lot of money that can be use to provide qualitative education and health centres. The amount of money spent by government to buy diesels and servicing the generators can run into several millions of naira. The ban can also make government to make some money through selling off of all the generator sets used in government offices and residences of its officials.
Though it will be unbelievable for the government to ban the use of electric generators in its establishments and for its officials. The Nigerian people should involve the not using of electric generators as the criteria to support a candidate in future elections. This will show that such candidate might have the determination to bring about change in the power in the power sector so that with the masses they can fully enjoy constant and stable electricity.
Those in position of authority should seize the initiative by enforcing the ban on the use of electric generators. Like the PHCN staff, the ban will remind those at the helm of affairs of their responsibilities to provide constant and stable electricity supply to the people of Nigeria.
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