BY REV. FR. GERALD NWAFOR
The news has been breaking on how the managers of electricity in Nigeria hiked the bills from 63 naira to 245 naira which means an over 300 percent increase. The outcry is deafening but the government is playing the ostrich by hiding their head in the sand claiming not to see, hear, or smell the pain in the face of the public.
The first line of defense from the government was to say that the hike affects only 15% of the people using electricity and the other 85% are still being subsidized by the government. I don’t know how to put the question to the government because in 2014 we were told that the power company had been sold to DISCOS and GENCOS, where one would generate power and the other would distribute it.
So, what is the business of government in a private company if was true that it was sold or privatized in 2014? The amount of lies and deceit that go on in the government of Nigeria is unimaginable. How can you explain to me that you sold your car to Mr. Bat, and you still fuel the car, maintain the car, and pay for the car insurance? Therefore, please help me understand the position of the buyer and his share of the car. Is it not fraud or the old proverbial words of the Onitsha people which read: “The more you look the less you see.”
Why is the government putting its mouth to watin no concern them? The money the government said they are spending to subsidize the power sector can build ten power stations in different places in Nigeria.
Who did this to us? Now the government of Goodluck Jonathan sold the power sector to whomever they called the highest bidder. The government of Buhari agreed to the deal because they did not revert it the way they reverted the refinery privatization and now the government of Tinubu is milking us dry in the name of subsidy. What did we do that the government did not like, we in the working class? You see this electricity supply in question: we do not see it, but we are paying for it.The people who increased the tariff said that the 15% whose bills were hiked are the people who have electricity supply for at least 20 hours a day.
And almost all of them appeared on all the national televisions in Nigeria saying that they do not have up to 20 hours of power supply daily. The maximum they do get is 10 hours or 8 hours. Thank goodness I did not get the increment tariff because my situation is not even mentioned in the categories of people.
Since I can go weeks and months sometimes without power. The daily supply of 2 hours in the whole of Anambra is not to my knowledge. I was born and bred in Anambra. I went to school in Anambra. I lived in Enugu for a while and Anambra is my domicile. I have never heard of or seen a place or person who claimed that they have a steady power supply daily. I do not want to go to the 20 hours or 8 hours daily because that is a lie from the pit of hell.
When growing up the first common language you will learn without a teacher in Nigeria is, “UP NEPA!!” OR “AYII.” The first one “UP NEPA!!” goes with the power coming on and darkness dispelled, and the electricity would be like 1 hour or 2 hours if you are lucky.
Then the light would go off and the second exclamation would re-echo “AYII.” Although, NEPA (Nigeria Electric Power Authority) is no longer in charge of the power sector according to what they told us people still refer to that body of DISCOS and GENCOS as NEPA. The wickedness of the people in government was that nobody should generate his power station and even when you generate power you will give it to the government (DISCOS and GENCOS) for management and distribution.
What is more draconian than this law? But thanks to the government of Abia state who has broken the jinx by building a power station and refused to involve any DISCOS or GENCOS. Eyes are open and stupid laws should not be obeyed.NDA (Niger Dam Authorities), ECN (Electricity Corporation of Nigeria), NEPA (National Electric Power Authority), PHCN (Power Holding Company of Nigeria) NERC (Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission), LDC (Local Distribution Companies), GENCOS (Generation Companies) and DISCOS (Distribution Companies).
Whenever you hear these names, please know that they are the same people. The character has not changed, only the nomenclature was twisted. And it is still managed by the government of Nigeria and its cronies. NEPA has a proper acronym given to them by the public which is (Never Expect Power Always) and the second acronym is (No Electric Power at All) which should be the proper acronym following what is obtainable by the epileptic supply of power in that sector.
The government should think about service improvement before tariff increases. Nigerians are very quick to buy and pay for what they like. I remember how costly the mobile phones were and how expensive it was to recharge your credit or airtime but because MTN provided the services Nigerians paid for it.
The Igbo people said, (ife di mma liem ego, umunnam tam uta) Let me spend my fortune on good luxury and let my kinsmen lay blame on me. Here there is no electricity and we have been paying for darkness and now they want to add more money for the darkness. I don’t think it is a good idea at all. If the government can improve the power supply and light up the cities in Nigeria, I can assure you that Nigerians will pay without complaint.
