Power consumers in Nigeria are unhappy with the abysmal supply of electricity from the distribution and generation companies across the country. The latest data from the Power System Operator on Wednesday showed that electricity generation was still low as the country generated 2,815.1 megawatts on Tuesday, a development that resulted in outages in many parts of Nigeria.

The poor power situation in Nigeria, according to consumers, has increased the sufferings of the masses, as many people are forced to stay in darkness due to the inability to fuel their generators, occasioned by the hike in prices of petroleum products.

Although the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, has ensured that the cost of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, remains N145 per litre, findings have shown that the complete deregulation of other white products and the instability of the naira have led to an astronomical rise in the cost of diesel and kerosene.

Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the average monthly landing costs of a litre of kerosene, diesel and petrol increased from N60.13, N58.33 and N66.87 in January 2016 to N144.05, N142.82 and N136.71 in December 2016, respectively.

Aside from the PMS, the increase in the landing costs of the commodities has resulted in a hike in the pump prices of the products, a development that has made it more difficult for small and large-scale electricity users to fuel their individual generators.

Chinedu Ogbue, an operator of a barbing saloon in Kubwa, Abuja, said the poor power situation in the country had almost crippled his small business.

He said, “As a graduate of the Anambra State University, I decided to run this barbing saloon after I couldn’t find a job. Aside from the fact that I’m given outrageous estimated electricity bills, the worst of it now is that we hardly get power to run our business.

“I depend largely on electricity from my generator because it is painful and annoying when you consider the kind of suffering one goes through in the hands of these power companies. Their inefficiency had almost crumbled this business, if not that we have relied on generators.”

The Secretary, National Electricity Consumers Advocacy Network, Mr. Obong Eko, told our correspondent that a lot of power users were suffering as a result of the poor supply to households and industries.

He said, “When the sector was privatised in November 2013 and the electricity distribution and generation companies were handed over to private investors, many Nigerians thought that within some few months, things would improve.

“But it is more than three years since the companies were handed over to private operators and we are still complaining and suffering. This is despite the fact that consumers pay more for less supply of electricity. When is this suffering going to end?”

Also speaking on the poor power situation in the country, the President, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Mr. Otis Anyaeji, stated that engineers were not comfortable with the service being provided by the power generation and distribution companies.

http://www.energywatchng.com/consumers-groan-power-firms-others-trade-blame/

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