Dear Mr. President,
Do forgive me for barging in on you with
this letter while you are preparing for your
election. This is the only way I am sure I
can reach you most effectively. This is not
meant to embarrass or distract you, rather
the situation warrants that I let my
President know my plight, and that of
many Nigerians. After all, Americans have
easy access to President Barack Obama.
It’s to do with electricity. But you might be
wondering why I should write you directly
on this when you have a Minister of
Power, and even a Chairman of the
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.
But I am sorry to say, if they do exist,
Nigerians whom you and they swore to
serve have not felt their impact on this
matter. In any case, I have written to
them several times as well as those
written by other people, including opinions
by reputable newspapers, not leaving out
countless peaceful protests by Nigerians to
the distribution companies (discos), to the
extent that a public affairs commentator
proposed a revolution as the only solution
to this problem.
Though it might not matter any longer, I
will still go ahead to say it. I feel there are
areas that should never be privatised in
Nigeria. And one of them is the power
sector. The power sector is too critical to
be left in the hands of capitalists.
Capitalists are like doctors who sell coffins.
Electricity is the oxygen of the economy.
Unlike government, capitalists have only
three things in mind: Profit, profit, and
profit. Only competition puts them in check.
Unfortunately, the power sector as it is
today is a quasi-monopoly. Unlike the
telecoms sector, electricity consumers
cannot change their electricity suppliers.
Still, Nigerians appreciate the efforts you
have put into the power sector reforms so
far. Nigerians recognise that it will take
time to reach the desired level. But one
thing Nigerians cannot take is the injustice,
avarice and inefficiency that have
bedevilled the sector since it was
privatised.
Before the privatisation, my electricity bill
as estimated by the old Power Holding
Company of Nigeria, Abule Egba business
unit in Lagos, because I have yet to be
given a prepaid meter, used to be about
N2,300 per month. After the privatisation,
and the Ikeja Electricity Distribution
Company took over, the bill became
N6,000. After the tariff was “increased”
with the so-called MYTO II, it became
N13,000. This was given to me for three
months. And without any further increase
in tariff, that for February is now N18,000!
Our minimum wage! It is laughable, if it
were it not so grave.
There are those who have prepaid meters
in Lagos who use air-conditioning systems
and pump their water even for commercial
purposes who spend, on average, N4000
monthly. I know some people who don’t
have prepaid meters in Abuja who are
given a bill of N2,500 a month. An insider
of the IKDEC described the N18,000 bill as
“impossible.” Still, there will be a further
“increase” in tariff for private homes in a
few months’ time. Yet, there is no
improvement in power supply, particularly
since last October. As I am writing you
this, there is power outage. Last month
and up till this month, the light has been
coming and going, every 30 minutes in my
neigbourhood!
Now, even if with privatisation, the light
does not blink for one year, it is no
justification for reckless and irresponsible
bills. When the discos supply light that
lasts up to five hours at a stretch, they
want Nigerians to cheer them. Yet, the
light supply is nowhere near what the
defunct National Electric Power Authority,
or even PHCN used to supply us.
My neighbours have long lost faith in the
system. They say they can’t pay for what
they did not consume. Someone I know
has asked to be completely disconnected
until he gets a prepaid meter. He powers
himself and still has a lot of savings. But I
still pay for my bills regularly. But I get
scorned by neighbours, family and friends.
That I still pay the outrageous bills that I
do not consume even causes friction
between my spouse and I. The discos are
stretching my already thin patience!
As I said, we still run our generators as
before the privatisation. But as said, we
will save more if we depend solely on our
generators. But that will be antithetic to
your vision for the sector. We are all here
to support you and the system. But it
seems the discos are taking Nigerians for
fools. But what they fail to realise is that
by their greed, they only succeed in
discouraging those who pay their electricity
bills. But it is the discos that will lose
eventually, as Nigerians know how to beat
the system!
The problem has been identified that there
is a huge metering gap. The discos are not
keen on giving out prepaid meters because
of the huge rake-off from the estimated
billing system. Nigerians now have to pay
for their inefficiency, and feed their greed.
Even with their greed, the discos are
negligent in maintaining their distribution
equipment and upgrading their facility. In
December, I paid N10,000, into my
account. With that of many others, till
date, it has not been credited into my
account. They attribute it to a “system
error,” and are “working on it.” And they
want me to keep paying.
I am sorry, Your Excellency, but this matter
is now a campaign issue. Consider the
millions of Nigerians who are without
prepaid meters who are suffering this
injustice. A majority of Nigerians say they
have not seen the gain of the fuel price
reduction from N97 to N87. But trust me,
Nigerians will be very grateful if you
intervene in this injustice with the
estimated bill. Nigerians are a majority,
and the discos are a minority. The majority
carries the vote! And that is the vote we
promise to give you!
You listened when we said we did not
want the removal of fuel subsidy. Pray, on
behalf of those Nigerians who are being
cheated by the discos, make NERC revert
to the old electricity tariff. If the average
those who are using prepaid meter are
paying is N4,000, the estimated bill given
to those who don’t have prepaid meters
should be fixed in that range. At worst, let
those on prepaid meters pay the new
tariff, and those without prepaid meters
pay the old tariff. And the day a
consumer gets their prepaid meter, they
start paying the new tariff. And any disco
who still gives out “crazy bills” should be
sanctioned. And Nigerians are within their
rights not to pay such bills. Perhaps, that
is the only sure way of making the discos
give their customers prepaid meters, and
end the abuse.
I am also aware that you have provided
the funds for the provision of one million
prepaid meters for consumers. Nigerians
appreciate this. But one million meters will
go nowhere. And how will the meters be
distributed?
Your Excellency, we are not asking to go
back to Egypt, but while in the wilderness
enroute to the Promised Land, give us the
manna called justice!
Permit me one last wish, Sir! The discos
are using the excuse of “increased” tariff
to feed fat. They are operating an open
cheque, with their pen dripping with the
blood and sweat of hapless Nigerians.
May they be struck by constipation!

Dr. Odoemena, a medical
practitioner, wrote in from Lagos.
Terafema..com
Credit:: www.punchng.com/opinion/sos-to-president-jonathan-on-electricity/

Na today?
Another open letter to what end?

Is punch newspaper now a brother to Sahara
reporters?

It is only in Nigeria that gov't privatised something in its bad state- in other climes, they make it work, 're-package' it before handing it over to the private sector/companies.
To know that there is no departure from the past on power supply in Nigeria, we still scream "NEPA" whenever the 'light' is taken or restored.

koikoi2:
Is punch newspaper now a brother to Sahara
reporters?

did u read the letter at all?