A Reforming Government and a Failed Energy Sector

Prince Charles Dickson

Jos, Plateau Nigeria

Nigeria is a beautiful land blessed…yes but, cursed with an abundance of evil called leaders. The best news that I heard was Obj acknowledging that we had poor leadership and I hope he included himself in that assertion.

I do not have an option as once again I have to touch on the nemesis called NEPA or is it PHCN, simply put problem has changed name, or please have candle nearby. The power situation in the nation is now in a ‘state of terrible’; the only official explanation is that the hostage takers in the Niger Delta are responsible. I do not know if those hostage takers are also responsible for the plans to increase tariff thank God for the regulatory commission that saved us from the impending craze.

For all the Obasanjo’s regime his prided itself as achieving, just to provide citizenry with uninterrupted power supply is just impossible. In seven years the power company has generated barely a constant average of 3, 500 megawatts.

This year alone federal government has allocated 57 billion out of the 76 billion Naira provided for power in the year’s budgets, yet it is no show. When I tease people that I love Nigeria, they do not understand, power supply is dropping and then the supply company plans a 60% increase. The price is to cater for rise in price of gas and the payment of licence fee to the National Electricity Regulatory Commission.

One minute the same gas is not available, next minute the price has increased. Dry season, it is no water, rainy season, too much water. In January, one’s bill is 700 Naira in March it is 3,000 Naira and one has not added any new power consumption item to his/her house. It is sad that despite all the false prophesy about reforms this failure called government forget that the power sector contribute largely to the failure or otherwise of the economy they are trying to reform. High rate of employment due to rise in inflection, job loss and all the economist that they have gathered cannot tell them the simple truth about the economics of lack of energy.

Niger Delta, our foot, it has taken the crisis for the government to know that it can improve power supply through other means. And it has started awarding all those rush-rush contracts through which millions of taxpayers’ money develops wings. A government that lies about everything and anything, by next year power supply would have reached 10, 000mw, that was how they fooled the late Bola Ige into promising utopia in the name of constant power supply. I never forget that the man promised Nigerians electricity by the end of that year and somehow by a twist of fate that year Dec 31^st Nigeria had electrically for that day and witnessed a blackout the following day and year.

I once alleged that there was a racket in the Supply Company then NEPA now PHCN that has perfected a method of raping Nigeria and ripping Nigerians apart. An interaction with some top PHCN Staff and management and you have seem thieves. I know one that has a pool of luxury cars financed by the crazy month bills that they conjure up and remit some stray figures into government coffers.

This government is a “success” story, I am sure my pen slipped that is why they preach reform and then on an average a big industry like Cadbury, Coca-Cola et al have six or less hours of electricity and then the remaining working hours they rely on a corrupt and idiotic inefficient monopoly called petroleum markers to supply diesel for running their noise making machines called power generators.

An example is Ashaka Cement Plc, where some part of their operations have been completely removed for PHCN and placed on internally generated power supply.

In a neighbourhood the transformer goes bad and the members of that community have to do communal contribution to PHCN after paying their bill s regularly, if not they can go to hell with the darkness. The transformers are removed without replacement. This is when; the masses do not get those outrageous bills even when there is no power supply. Everything about Obj’s administration is cosmetic in nature, its either a face life or a tummy tuck that is why when even Bola Ige tried to do something, he was…. To pave way for some people to….

Till date we are faced with the blind disconnections, unwarranted tariffs increase, outrageous billings and we hear this government has tried. It surprising if a NEPA or is PHCN office now would not have electricity for two weeks because a pole fell do wn, the rain was heavy or the more absorb reason of what they call “load shedding” (Sharing of electricity) you don’t get power supply till it is your turn.

Like they all goof sometime ago the PHCN appliance damaging director stated that Nigerians do not mind what they pay to assure constant power supply. Do you lame him, when all they do is sit in the office and estimate the bill of a house where the whole occupants are on vacation for a month in another state and still bill them higher them when they are at home. And bill a house that has been disconnected from power source.

I once said that the Obj government is one of mandate betrayal and for us to have any expectation is morally wrong. 18 companies or units out of the old NEPA, still the story is the same, less than 40% of the nation has access to power supply name has changed but problem still remains the same. I believe Obasanjo’s does not need to solve this nation’s problems, just solve one, like leaving legacy of electricity come 2007… a tall order, as he is very likely not able to achieve that, there is nothing in it for him like third term of (tanda there) pidgin altercation for “remain there” .Almighty Allah grant us light to see the deceit of our leaders.