Wonders, they say; never ends. Admittance of President Obasanjo that his government has been unable to provide adequate infrastructures in the past seven years mimics extreme sincerity with which Bible writers penned their records - openly admitting own's faults. But one would at least be amazed that our self-praising president could openly "confess his sins". Barely three months after he sworn oath of office in 1999, he strongly displayed his determination to make NEPA works. Promise of tens of thousand of megawatts of electricity supply was made; the then MD of NEPA who reportedly has his every Friday's prayers in Saudi Arabia was sacked coupled with numerous restructuring exercises. Not long after this, Dollars and Naira in its Billions starts sinking into this "No Future Supply" (NFS) Parastatal.

Soon thereafter, it dawn on the obasanjo Governement, though in a miraculous dismay that Money which they say answered 98% of physical things, if not all things, gave no answer to NEPA problem. Rather, it raises questions as to weather there is a cabal who apply a sharing formular to this fund. However, another bid to resolve the electricity nightmare was reached - Let's change the name of this body to PHCN; may be NEPA is experiencing spiritual attacks; OBJ and his men may have reasoned. The result? Total Darkness and disconnection of some settlement from the National Grid.

Similarly, over 300 Billion was alleged to have been spent on Federal Roads in Nigeria by yesterday's Minister of Works. Yet, the Lagos - Abeokuta expressway leading to Ota Farms where OBJ himself lives and will still retired to is the worst. The irony of the Road Issue at present is that two Men who were supposed to be responsible for misappropriating Funds meant for Roads in the past Seven years are among the Chief - makers and Gubernatorial Gladiators comes 2007. Had it been that the 3RD Term Ventures succeds, we probably could not have known a humble and self - confessing President. OBJ, could you please apply the same sincerity that produce your "open confession" to brought to book, or in the interim get our voted Funds meant for Roads and Eletricity back from these two past Ministers of Works.

Source?

And when we are criticising, let us bear in mind how OBJ met NEPA. Nepa's problems is like that of fuel. when he came in he discover that there are cabal who are feeding fat on incapacitated power of rifineries to supply adequate fuel. All his efforts to pump money into refineries were met with brickwall, because once such rifineries is given Turn Around Maintenance, no sooner would it pack up again. OBJ then take a drastic action by liberalization of down stream sector which eradicates queuing at filing stations which is what we are still enjoying today.
The same is applicable to power supply, the situation is so bad by the time he came in that every where there is darkness. He took it upon himself to salvage the dead infrastructures. He ordered for repair of the hydro stations, some of which are over 30 years old. Some of the hydro stations were even commissioned by him when he was the chief helmsman in 1976. So when he discovered that the existing hydro stations is outdated and are gumping money, he discarded the idea and started building new power stations. I bet the credit of those will go to incoming administrations because some of you his critics does not see that as his achievement. What we need to do is to believe that NEPA problem is far more than something that will be solved overnight, because of our neglect of maintenance which make the existing power stations incapacitated. With the money sunk on building new power stations, by the time his efforts materialise, NEPA will have been producing over 10,000 MW of electricity 2,000MW more than we need in this country. His admission that all his efforts to make sure power is stable is to let us know that, he had tried his best. Take for instance the recent sabotage by Niger Delta militants, they blow up the pipe supplying gas to thermal station in Egbin which is supplying about 700MW to the national grid, ever since then, efforts are on to repair the damaged pipe, the NEPA are left with lifting gas with tanker. Let us not pretend he has done nothing, just let us believe that our problem in this country is decay so much that, OBJ tried his best compare to what Nigeria was when he took over.

twinstaiye:

OBJ then take a drastic action by building another rifineries which is what we are enjoying today.

Did he really do that? Please where is the new refinery located? can someone else substantiate this claim. It seems am no longer living in this country. Because I know we still import a large percentage of refined crude and no new refinery have been built by OBJ. The only new refinery that is being built is the Orient Petroleum in Awka which is a private initiative. I stand to be corrected.

twinstaiye:

by the time his efforts materialise, NEPA will have been producing over 10,000 MW of electricity more than
2,000MW that we need in this country.

No. we actually need about 10,000 MW and not 2,000 MW. As at now we produce less than we need.

twinstaiye:

His admission that all his efforts to make sure power is stable is to let us know that, he had tried his best.

I agree with you. He has done his best and should be commended to some degree. I actually fell out of favour with him during the third term debacle. But, in all, he has tried.

The problem of NEPA is very simple. No matter how many gallons of water you pour into a basket, it will never get full. The government should break up this monopoly into several little pieces and then separately auction each piece. This will activate private ownership as well as fierce competition in the power sector.

The private sector is always more efficient than the civil service in any country, because their personal interests are aligned with public interests. Private power sector players, in the presence of capable competition, will definitely perform. Not because they are saints who love Nigeria, but because the happiness of Nigerians will profit them too!

Seun:

The problem of NEPA is very simple. No matter how many gallons of water you pour into a basket, it will never get full. The government should break up this monopoly into several little pieces and then separately auction each piece. This will activate private ownership as well as fierce competition in the power sector.

Private ownership is a good thing dont get me wrong, but privatizing electricity can be a very dangerous thing. As you are familiar with the term oligopoly one can occur from such a move to pravitize such a utility. As long as price fixing does not occur, this should not pose as a threat. The governemt should allow for privatizing, but still have the public one avialable as to keep up a certain standard,

Seun:

The private sector is always more efficient than the civil service in any country, because their personal interests are aligned with public interests. Private power sector players, in the presence of capable competition, will definitely perform. Not because they are saints who love Nigeria, but because the happiness of Nigerians will profit them too!

This is not true look at HealthCare for instance it is private in the ?United States, but here in Canada it is public, Unless you have megabucks and u can afford the superior one HelthCare is infact better in Canada, Just one of millions of expamples, Again the goverment should partake in the socially well being of the masses. Socialism does work. But there needs to be a good counterbalance of Free-Market Capitalism. Canada is A GOOD example.

Letz not forget, it was in 1999 or 2000 when OBJ promised that come Dec. 31st 2000, there would be continuous electricity supply.

If my memory serves me right (and it often does ), I was in Uyo on that very day and there was no light for at least 2 or 3 hours.

Call it an empty promise, call it counting chicks b4 they hatch, either way, it didn't happen.

Na wa o!

no one begged him or forced him to promise 24 hours light.
he looked at the task and saw it achievable.

his best is not good enough, when people fail, most of them do their best, do you give them a pat on the back

and promote them.

Obj is the president, he had the whole tools, AND finance to change the country if he wanted, and even if 24 hours light was not achievable, 12 hours would have been manageable.

Their where no limits to what he could do, so please, stop defending failure.

There are over 120 million people in this country. If he wanted to work, am sure he can find a million competent
men to help run this country with passion.

I am sure we don't need an admission by Obasanjo to know that he failed in providing power to the country.

I can't believe it,a Nigerian ruler admits that he failed the people!Its not rocket science to acknowledge the fact that stable power output would solve a lot of the problems in Naija.Most industrial layouts are been used by churches as the companies have all closed down because you can't
operate a business with a generator.
NEPA should indeed be broken up and sold as individual franchises

My fear about selling NEPA is that one of these politicans will buy it.

And milk the hell out of us. Who else can afford to buy NEPA. I read Forbes and Fortunes alot and

see how failing companies can be brought back to life, call it turn around, either when profits are falling or market share is being lost to competitors. Or the company is not performing.

Most times it is not about expertise, it is usually about competent people being in Management positions.

We have tested and trusted people, someone like Mrs. Dora Akunyili, if put in NEPA, believe me, in two years there will be a big difference.

It is about people that can make things change.

Are you sure it won't be a good Idea if we organise our own Award ceremony this year.

Call it Nairaland ward of the year 2006. This is will be an award by concensus,

We can Have 24 hours light, it is achievable. It is about setting targets and meeting them.

Those Guys working in the UK will agree, that most times targets, teamwork is something that is inevitable when you want to achieve great results.

It keeps you focused on the goal. If the goal is 24 hours light everyone in NEPA should wake up in the morning singing a tune that implies that their should be 24 hours light and every action should be directed towards it.

Am more interested in change, if no one can handle the task, it should be giving to me. It is worth dying for.

I know the man that will give us 24 hours light will be a topic to be studied in LBS in the future[b]THE MAN THAT TURNED AROUND NEPA AND HOW HE ACHIEVED IT[/b] . A book with that title will sell all over the world. Believe me it is not an easy TASK but it can be done.

Let obj put good people in NEPA. like he do in CBN and FINANCE. Even if Nigerian contribute money to nepa in billions or trillions the problem will not solve until those bad eggs among them is remove.

wiseguy:

Did he really do that? Please where is the new refinery located? can someone else substantiate this claim. It seems am no longer living in this country. Because I know we still import a large percentage of refined crude and no new refinery have been built by OBJ. The only new refinery that is being built is the Orient Petroleum in Awka which is a private initiative. I stand to be corrected.

Error regretted. It is now corrected.

wiseguy:


No. we actually need about 10,000 MW and not 2,000 MW. As at now we produce less than we need.

What I mean to say is that "2,000 more than what we need in this country."
I guess I posted that much in a hurry.

My fear about selling NEPA is that one of these politicans will buy it.

And milk the hell out of us.

That's why I suggested breaking it up before selling it. It is not possible for producers to "milk" their customers in the presence of competent competition. It is only in the absence of competition that this can occur.

Seun,
How will you break Nepa,

Who will own the cables and the poles and the meters and how will own the damps

How will you break Nepa

There are competitive electricity markets all over the world. The BPE can visit them to find out how it's done.

Who will own the cables and the poles and the meters and how will own the damps

Each dam and power generation plant will be auctioned off separately. The distribution network in each town (cables, poles, transformers) will also be auctioned off separately. So there'll be a network of distributing companies and a network of power generating companies. Someone like you with a diesel generator could approach a distribution company and offer to supplement what they get from NEPA. Who will own them? You and I!

The distribution companies will need to upgrade their infrastructure so it supports prepaid billing with variable billing rates. Those who refuse to pay will not get power, while those who pay will get power round the clock. The deregulated market will be less intimidating to aspiring entrepreneurs and investment money will flow in.

@ Seun

Do you think it is as easy as you have described?

Either we fix this problem the right way or we keep on complaining that "things are not ok". The countries we envy have been developing for centuries. Entrepreneurship is never easy, but that is how prosperity is created.

why is NEPA not generating enough power,

What is the problem with NEPA.

See, it is the government that should generate power, and then private companies can market the power.
you can't sale the transformers, i wonder how many transformers will be on your street suppling you light, and how many wires will be across your street.

Does anyone know how how many watts of electricity Nigeria is producing and how many we need to produce.

Bump