ASTRONOMICAL ELECTRICITY BILL: A DEPRESSING WEIGHT ON NIGERIANS.

By:
Fidelis O. Ajukura.
ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com

Electricity supply is one of the cardinal features of a modern society. There is hardly any society today that can survive without electricity. Electricity is crucial in the day to day activities of man. In homes, electricity is an indispensable tool. In places of work, worship centers, recreation/ entertainment centers, detention centers etc, electricity is a defining force. It can conveniently be described as the bedrock of modern or civilized society. Without electricity life will be miserable, boring and nasty.

Electricity is considered one of the basic necessities of a contemporary society. It is an amenity that man and the society cannot afford to do without. It is for this reason that governments make it a primary task to ensure that it (electricity otherwise known as power) is made available to its people. Owing to the gargantuan cost of generating and distributing electricity or power, individuals and organizations consider it a no go area except in highly advanced societies.

The experience of power generation in Nigeria has been somewhat gloomy. From inception, power generation has been ladened with inefficiency and all manner of inconsistencies. Corruption, as a dreaded monster has never allowed Nigeria and Nigerians to enjoy uninterrupted power supply. A child born in Nigeria thinks it is impossible to have unbroken power supply for twenty four hours. This shameful situation have, regrettably remained so despite the colossal amount of money injected into the sector by successive governments.

Nigerians have witnessed power authority transit from the infamous National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA) to the notorious Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The power company as it is currently constituted is divided into three subsectors namely; power generating company, power transmission company and the power distribution company. This arrangement was conceived in order to enhance efficiency unfortunately; exploiting Nigerians seem to be the sole agenda of the electricity company.

Today, Nigerians are groaning under a heavy weight of ridiculous electricity tariff without any one coming for rescue. The callous company has ceased the opportunity to draw as much blood as possible from helpless Nigerians. The most heartrending aspect is the insensitivity and recklessness displayed by the company's officials in the course of carrying out their duty.- consumers are disconnected for failing to pay for power they didn't consume. They're billed even when power is not supplied. They're given ridiculous bills after buying equipment like; transformers, poles, cables etc. They deny consumers meters with one flimsy excuse or the other. The reason for such excuses are not farfetched - to exploit them.

The electricity company in this regard can be likened to a loose cannon - it operates without restraints. In other words, it imposes tariff on consumers without consideration and consultation. Increase in tariff is done in quick succession. Even the regulatory agency, National Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC) is overwhelmed by the power the company: as a matter of fact, it is believed to be colluding with the electricity company to drain Nigerians.

Going around town today, I was shocked to see how much shops pay for electricity bill. A small shop I went to was billed fifteen thousand naira. The owner of the shop managed to pay thirteen thousand naira. This revelation got me worried such that I started asking myself; how much the shop owner makes in a month to warrant such heavy bill? This is the height of thievery; it has to be resisted at all cost. Exploiting small businesses through exorbitant electricity tariff is certainly not the best for this country. One of the major ways of discouraging people especially, the youths from indulging in criminal activities is engaging them in small businesses but, when such lofty plan is bastardized by the ravenous electricity company then we are finished.

The government must rise to the challenge by instilling sanity in the electricity sector. A child cannot be bigger than its parents. Nigerian Electricity Company cannot be a clog in the wheel of our progress. The government must act before it is too late.