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Media reports indicate in a new
dimension to Nigerians reaction to the now total darkness imposed on
our country by PHCN. The reports show that there have been growing
cases of electricity consumers taking out their frustrations on PHCN
officials. In states like Kogi, Lagos, Anambra and Benue states,
PHCN officials have been reported beaten to pulp by angry consumers
whose electricity lines were attempted to be cut by the officials.
In their reactions, PHCN officials have accordingly condemned such
“barbaric, uncivilized and primitive” descent to pristine state of
nature. They frown at citizens expressing their dark frustration
with their fists. These government lincesed undertakers did not see
any reason why the man on the street would ask for evidence of what
he is paying for. They tell you that electricity consumers are owing
so much to PHCN. They would, however, never tell you the services
rendered that have not been paid for.
For those of you living in Uyo, I am sure the state of services
rendered in the past four months have been equal to the bills they
routinely bring for settlement. In parts of Uyo, especially the
major business centres like Oron Road, Abak Road, Aka Road, Ikot
Ekpene Road, etc. have remained for the better part of two months in
total darkness. Yet what do you find at the end of the months, bills
running into thousands of naira for services never rendered.
The argument then is, should the consumer continue to be punished
both ways? In my office for instance, I have used two generating
sets between January 2007 and July 2008. Due to constant,
uninterrupted usage they get easily damaged and often emit such
unwholesome noise that add to the dangers of pollution in the
environment. If you add the cost of buying petrol for the generators
and the cost of repairs then you would realize how much one suffers
to keep a simple office running ironically after spending so much to
generate my own energy, I am made to pay for PHCN services that
never come.
It is only in a country like ours, where anything goes that such a
thing can happen. It is a depraved society that would encourage
people to reap where they did not sow. What moral or even legal
right has the PHCN official got to barge into any persons' office to
demand for the settlement of power bills in a state of total system
collapse. Yet you see them every day with ladders disconnecting what
was never in the first place connected. But this is Nigeria where
anything goes. If it is not official stealing then tell us what we
are made to pay for in the face of the darkness, daily confronting
us.
Since our president is still not sure of what to do with the power
sector, then let them allow us be, let them allow us continue to buy
all manners of cheap Chinese generators that have come to be our
saving grace. Don't mind the fact that their life span is so short
because they were tailor-made for a gullible people like Nigeria. We
are a nation without standards. The whole world knows us. When we go
out to produce drugs meant for Nigeria, the potency is reduced, when
it is food beverages, the quality is reduced, when it is machine
tools, the standard is compromised. That is our lot as a nation.
Chinese electronic industry has for the better part of two decades
now made a mince meat of Nigerians. Producing and shipping all types
of generators from the one you can hardly use for a month to the one
you start today and tomorrow you start repairs. That has become our
unfortunate lot as a country. For eight years the former president,
Obasanjo did not know what to do with the already dead power sector.
A sad sector that past Nigerian leaders from Gowon till date have
not been able to fashion out a workable solution.
When at the inaugural address of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, he
promised to declare within six months in office, a state of
emergency on the power sector, many heaved a sigh of relief. Trust
us, we soon forgot that a former Obasanjo minister promised steady
power supply within two years of his presidency. Yet the whole eight
years came and quietly went by, but instead of improving, we
deteriorated. One year and two months into the Yar'Adua presidency,
we have not heard him declare any state of emergency, but we have
seen the sector finally collapse.
What the president lacks in action to pull the dead sector up, he
more than made up in the exploitation of the Nigerian masses through
the power sector. In what appears as putting the cart before the
horse, this administration has announced energy tariff increases.
This means that consumers would henceforth pay more for the darkness
they are currently enjoying.
When, therefore, you hear him mouth the Vision 2020 slogan, just
take it with a pitch of salt. He is merely hallucinating. We will
continue to hear that slogan until we are way through 2020, just
like we waded through 2000 without any of the dreams of that magic
year being realized. The way the president and his administration
are going, we may be heading for the worst 20th economy by 2020. It
is as if we have gone into a national sleep. Where is our president
to show the direction at this critical times when a lot of things
are going wrong. Look at the Niger Delta. We are sitting on top of
hot coal if urgent measures are not taken to address the issue. Just
as we find in the power sector, the president is asleep hoping that
by the time he wakes up, the problem would have gone. We are talking
about a Niger Delta summit, much as we have been talking about power
sector state of emergency.
The summit is stalled, just as we are going nowhere near an
improvement in the power sector. Look at our educational sector, for
weeks now our teachers have been on strike and our children out of
schools, yet there is no solution in sight.
The way we are going, it may not be long before we are forced as
Nigerians to declare a state of emergency on the presidency to see
if we can wake up from this apparent lethargy.
SAMMY ETUK IS NOW ALSO A MAN
Last weekend I assume would be the best for brother Sammy Etuk and
his lovely wife Ekomobong, in my years to come. On Thursday 19 July,
Sammy's friends gladly joined him to Etim Ekpo, where he plucked the
vivaciously beautiful Ekemobong from the trees of Barrister Affia
compound. It was a ceremony of pomp and colour. The long ugly road
to the venue, I am sure will soon attract the attention of our
road-building governor. Talking about the stretch from Ukanafun to
Etim Ekpo.
On Saturday it was time for Sammy and his bride to walk down the
aisle. Here is wishing the couple all the great things in marriage.
CENSUS EKPU: THE REBLINDING OF AKWA IBOM STATE
Against the backdrop of the soon to be unveiled scandalous handling
of payments for goodwill messages placed in independently owned
newspapers in Akwa Ibom State, Firing Range will take a peep into
Mr. Census Ekpu's crisis-riddled stint at the Ministry of
Information and social reorientation. Keep a date with us.
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