The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Electricity

  • Electricity: Nigerians have won…!

    The recent judgement by the Federal High Court in Lagos reversing the electricity tariff hike which was increased by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), was a landmark judgment that has proven that justice may be delayed but never denied.

    The NERC should understand that it cannot force its illegal and unpatriotic desires on or against Nigerians. It is unimaginable to think that Nigerians should be made to pay for electricity that they did not consume, more so at a higher rate. Electricity stakeholders should focus more on its major task which is to deliver adequate electricity to Nigerians and not to exploit them.

    • Charles Iyare

    Benin, Edo State.

  • Communities relish electricity

    Three communities, Ekka, Umuezeoka and Umuezeoha in Ezza North local government areas of Ebonyi State have been lit up following the restoration of electricity.

    The development threw the residents into a joyous mood with everyone chanting songs and dancing.

    The restoration of power was courtesy of a member of the House of Representatives representing Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency, Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu

    The Nation gathered that the power outage was as a result of vandalism of electricity transformers in the area.

    The lawmaker provided new transformers and other power accessories and also paid the installation cost.

    Speaking with The Nation, Hon Nwonu stressed the need for community members to feel the impact of the present democratic dispensation, adding that his administration was bent on uplifting the living standard of his people.

    He urged the people to protect the transformers and other public amenities being put in place in the area. Hon Nwonu promised more dividends to the people even as he solicited for their support and cooperation at all times.

    According to him, while the Governor David Umahi-led state government is determined and is indeed delivering democracy dividends to the people of the state, it would not be favorably disposed to cite projects where it was not sure that they will be properly utilised and maintained.

    The traditional ruler of Ekka community in Ezza North Local Government Area, Ezeogo Fidelis Ekechi recalled that before the installation of transformers in the area, his community could best be described as one that still exists in the Dark Age.

  • The politics of electricity tariffs

    SIR: It is unfortunate and mischievous for the unions in the power sector to vent their spleen on the Distribution Companies (Discos) as the culprit for the poor electricity supply. The facts as the public  now knows is  that while  the Discos  can be taken  to  task on slow metering and  use  of  estimates  the same cannot be done on the main  issue  of  lack of  electricity and the existing poor  power  supply. The reason is that the Discos do not exist in a vacuum but are at the receiving end of a value chain in electricity generation and transmission. It follows therefore and therefrom that if the Discos do not  have kilowatts of electricity transmitted to them for distribution, their distribution capacity is denuded if not nonexistent. So how  come the power industry trade unions, the protector of workers’ rights, are deliberately portraying the Discos as exploiting the Nigerian masses with the new tariffs and  equating that with the highly explosive fuel price increase for which the workers union have called Nigerians out on strike, albeit unsuccessfully? The answer is obvious; Nigerians as I said before now know better and will not be led by the nose again by mischievous trade unions in any industry.

    Nigerians know that the discos  are owned by Nigerian investors  who bought them during the privatization exercise with their hard-earned money and that the distribution function in electricity is capital intensive and highly expensive  to deliver. They know that if the Discos deliver, our economy will rise from its present dormant and  comatose state and Nigerians will  have a better life. Nigerians also  know that electricity distribution is technology-driven and it will take  some time for those who have invested in it particularly the discos  to make any profit. We also know that as  with the  high prices  which  ushered in telecommunications when GSM phones  came in, the  high tariffs in electricity  already approved for the Discos by the Nigerian Electricity  Regulatory  Commission will also come down for  our overall enjoyment and general  satisfactory consumption of  electricity.

    It is therefore unnecessary for the trade unions, in their agitation for workers’ rights and benefits to  make the discos and the tariffs approved for them the scape goats  for poor electricity supply when Nigerians know the source of that. That  is definitely misleading and more  unpatriotic than the misleading  picture of exploitation that the unions have painted of the Discos on the new tariffs. It is like giving the dog a bad name in order to hang it and that is not what  the Discos or the Nigerian electricity consumers deserve especially  now  that Nigerians  are calling on government to stop vandalisation  of pipelines.

    The unions should channel their  efforts at making Nigerians have  electricity by asking government  to galvanise its power generation and transmission capabilities to  make the Discos perform and deliver. That way, Nigerians will  rally round when trade  unions call  them out on strike because they will  see that the unions know what they are saying especially on new electricity tariffs as well as the real reasons for poor electricity supply.

     

    • Sony Anaeto,

    Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

  • Fashola and electricity tariff

    SIR: As  a Nigerian very  interested in seeing the nation  get  out  of the doldrums of  constant  power failure  and its  dire  and  negative  consequences on our economic   development and   the  welfare  of  Nigerians, I  had heard  many  things  on the issue of privatization and the emergence   of  the distribution  companies (Discos)  saddled  with delivery   of electricity after  the reform of   power  sector. The latest was when the minister in charge of power,  BabatundeRajiFashola SAN told the House of  Representatives Committee that had  asked him  to come and explain  the nation-wide blackout  that the government  had   legally sold the PHCN  and that  the  new  tariffs announced early  this  year  would  eventually  benefit  the Nigerian consumer  of  electricity.   Of particular interest to me was his blunt rebuttal of the mistaken notion of the lawmakers that the privatization involving the Discos was less than legal.

    Again, the impression  one had  on the new  tariffs  as peddled  by  the trade unions  was that  the Discos were guilty  sharks   fishing  in Nigerian power  waters illegally  and milking Nigerians dry  with  high  tariffs  without  supplying  the expected  electricity. Now,  the minister  of  power  has come out  to defend  the new electricity  tariffs  as  cost -reflective  and structured  to create  liquidity  for the industry and make the discos viable  as a going  concerns,  to enable them recoup  their  huge investment at  a given and monitored  time,  while  guaranteeing customer  satisfaction. That  to me is quite  cheering  news  although  there  are  still  some  obstacles  in the way  in  spite  of  the bold and patriotic  posture  of  the minister supporting  both  the legality  of the discos, power  privatization, as  well  as the legality  of the new tariffs  and their technical  cost  reflective  nature.

    The  first  obstacle  which the  minister  should confront  is  the  suspension  by  the  Senate   of the new tariffs  approved for  the  Discos  by the  Nigerian Electricity  Regulatory  Commission – NERC –the  regulator  of  the electricity  industry  in Nigeria. Now that the  minister  has  stated  that  the tariffs  are correct  and legal,  he should  impress that  on  the  Senate  so  that  that lawmaking  body sticks to  its duties  of  making laws  for  Nigerian  people  so  that  electricity  can  be regulated by  the institution empowered  by  law  to  regulate  it, which  is, NERC.

    In  this, the  minister  should  have  the  support  of  all  right-thinking  Nigerians who  knew what  led  to the wrong  decision of the Senate  on  the new  tariffs.  Now  that  the minister, a  Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has  thrown  the weight  of the law  as well  as his office  behind  the legitimacy  of  the Discos as well  as  the legality  and desirability of the new  tariffs,  the Senate should  retrace  its steps and rescind  its illegal stoppage  of  the new  tariffs.  This is even more so as   NERC has already taken the  Senate   to court on  the  matter.  That  is the path  of  honour  and the  only  way  to  make  electricity  work  in Nigeria  as the power  minister  has already  demonstrated   both   in  word   and  deed.

     

    • Tunji Aderibigbe,

    Ilorin, Kwara State.

  • Youths attack policemen, electricity workers with machetes

    Three policemen and six employees of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) escaped being lynched at the weekend following attacks on them by angry youths in different parts of Yenagoa, the state capital.

    The youths were said to be angry that amidst darkness for many days in their various suburbs, the workers under the protection of the policemen stormed their areas to recover debts and disconnect wires.

    It was gathered that the Business Service Manager, PHED, Pere Alazigha was cut with machete and left in the pool of his blood by the youths.

    One of the workers identified as Christian Umegbewe ‎was reportedly pushed down from the ladder during the disconnection process.

    ‎The Chief Operating Officer, PHED, Engr. Kingsley Achife,‎ confirmed the development in a statement issued by the Protocol Officer, Corporate Communication, Sophilia Obire.

    He said that the security operatives attached to them were attacked by some residents of Epie community in Yenagoa.

    He said: “The attack, which was spearheaded by youths, resulted in injury to three policemen, the Business Service Manager, Pere Alazigha, a linesman, Christian Umegbewe and other staff members involved in the disconnection exercise.

    “While Alazigha was left with a machete cut on his body, Umegbewe was pushed down from the ladder by the youths during the disconnection process. Both of them were immediately hospitalized.‎”

    Achife condemned the violence but said the attitude of the youths would not deter the commitment of PHED to service paying customers.

    He said the company would continue to ensure that all customers pay for energy consumed appealing to members of the public to stop attacking workers willing to render quality service to them.

    Speaking on the development, the Head, Glory City Main Integrated Business Centre, Yenagoa, Mrs. Ngozi Manafa, said the vehicle that conveyed workers to the community was also damaged with its windscreen shattered.

    She said: “The Epie community has an outstanding debt record of over N60million and a current bill of over N2million to which they paid N70,000 and N50,000 respectively.‎

    “The incident was the second in a week. Two days before then, disconnection team of PHED was also beaten up at Airtel Road.

    “Only last month, some residents of Akemfa community attacked PHED staff on collection drive with the Business Service Manager, Mr. Festus Owi taken to the bush by some angry residents, a situation that led other PHED staff running for cover.

    “Several other attacks have also been witnessed in Koroma in Gbarain clan of Bayelsa state, where one PHED staff was held hostage and the pick-up van was also damaged.”

  • Group task Fashola on electricity tariff

    Group task Fashola on electricity tariff

    Members of the Legal Vanguard for Rules of Law and Democracy at the weekend upbraided the Minister of Power, Raji Fashola for his unrepentant comment over electricity tariff.

    The group in a statement issued on its behalf by its President, Toluwani Yemi Adebiyi, said it was very disconcerting that the statement credited to Fashola in which he insisted that there was no going back on the electricity tariff.

    In the statement which reads in part, the group said: “The minister who is a Senior member of the Bar (SAN) who should be helping this government to respect the rule of law is found doing the contrary, we are taken aback that he is making such public boastings when final judgment on the matter before the court is just waiting to be delivered, he cannot do that to intimidate the court, neither can he pre-empt the mind of the court or dictate to the court.”

    While reiterating the fact that the case is before a competent court of law with judgement soon to be delivered on the matter, Adebiyi said: “The increment is in violation of the enabling Act, for instance Section 76(2) which allows only licencees (GENCOS, DISCOs…) who are efficient to recover capital loss/bring Increment. Has the licencees, the GENCOs, the DISCOs been efficient? When megawatts have been rising and falling, even to as low as zero megawatt, just in May alone, it fell below zero MW on six occasions, yet the Honourable Power Minister is shamelessly boasting of an increment of which due process was not followed.”

    Drawing comparison to electricity supply in Nigeria and South Africa, the group said it is laughable that “The megawatts generated for a population of over 170million people has never gone beyond 5, 000 megawatts compared to South Africa of just about 50million, yet with over 44,000megawatts. This is in spite of about $20billion invested by the government between 2005 till date, with no significant improvement.”

    I once saw a group of consumers trying to resist and attack some staff of IKEDC when trying to disconnect their lines, I rushed there to save them from being attacked, an old man passing by saw me and laughed, he said: “Lawyer, if you can protect them from this physical attack, can you protect them from Spiritual attack? Let me tell you, every money most Nigerians pay for electricity are cursed money, I take mine before my family shrine to curse before taking to their office to pay, because I don’t want my light disconnected; many a times I sleep in darkness with my family, unless they give me value for what I pay for, that the curse will not work against them.”

    The public outburst of the minister despite inefficient in service delivery, the group maintained, smack of “Executive Class Hypocrisy” and can never intimidate the court.

  • Edo community ‘celebrates’ one year without electricity

    It was an unusual ‘celebration’ for residents of Eme-Ora in Owan West local government area of Edo state recently when they recently ‘celebrated’ one year without electricity supply from the Benin Electricity Distribution Company.

    The celebration was not the normal gathering of persons but at the heart of residents of the community who had endured one year of darkness and paralyzed business activities since electricity supply to the town was cut off in 2015.

    Problem of the community started in April 2015 when the transformer serving the community packed up, just after the community had come out of an eight-month old darkness.

    National President of Eme-Ora Progressive Union (EPU) Prophet Emmanuel Ojo Akhigbe-Agge said the problem of lack of power supply has continued despite the purchase of a transformer to replace the obsolete one.

    According to him, “We have 10 quarters and as we speak, Eme-ora has not had electricity for the past one year. The place has been in darkness. The electricity in Eme-ora, the transformer was packed up on April 20th, 2015. In 2014, there was no light for about eight months. In 2013, Eme-ora had no light for about five months. As you could see, I donated a transformer for our community to help alleviate the situation but those in charge have not deemed it fit to give us electricity.”

    Besides the problem of electricity, Prophet Emmanuel said Eme-Ora has no potable water and that the only secondary school in the community is like an abandon house.

    He said: “Our secondary school is like abandoned.It’s not functioning well.It’s not running like a school. The primary school is what I don’t want to talk about it. Is it the bad roads? The only road linking Uhunmora and Eme-Ora was inaugurated during the time of Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia pioneered by one of our aged father, Pius Uduehi. He led that good work as the only road we have.

    “The major issue confronting us is that the Eme person is not empowered because we are a minority. In fact, the entire Owan west is not empowered. Owan west has not gained anything from the government. So Eme did not gain anything.

    “I want to invite the people of Eme-ora to be attracted to EPU so that we can work on our focus for a possible achievement for the community. Because if I want to look at our challenge of what we are confronted with I will be talking about government and I don’t want to talk about the government. You know, it is my believed that Eme-ora have children that God Almighty by Himself have blessed. If we put our heads together, we can build our community.”

    When contacted for comments, the management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) said the community was owing the firm N3 million.

    Managing Director of BEDC Mrs Funke Osibodu said the transformer was being repaired but that the community should pay  or it would continue to celebrate darkness.

     

  • BEDC, USAID to sign MoU to boost electricity

    Benin Electricity Distribution Plc. (BEDC) is  to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aimed at boosting power supply.

    The MoU would enable USAID, through the Power Africa Project to off  and Reforms Program. PATRP is a five-year USAID technical assistance project implemented by Tetra Tech designed to bring more electricity to sub-Saharan Africa by utilizing a transaction-centered approach.

    Tetra Tech, as directed by USAID, is offering to provide commercialisation assistance to BEDC for over a period of about two years, focusing on management support to address losses, strengthen management controls and help with the required performance turnaround in its operations. It has engaged a team of professionals already on ground to man some strategic business units in BEDC in readiness for the implementation of the technical assistance.

    Tetra Tech’s assistance to BEDC, will help demonstrate and implement loss reduction strategies, as well as other improvements to allow for ingenous ways of managing the business to be rolled out through BEDC network and to provide a demonstrative effect for other utilities in the country.

    The MOU signing ceremony which climaxes series of preliminary engagements on the part of the two parties is billed for Hilton Hotel Abuja at 11.00am under the watchful eyes of the Minister of Power, Mr Babatunde Fashola and other bigwigs in the power sector. The MOU will set forth the scope and nature of Tetra Tech’s assistance to BEDC, together with its corresponding responsibilities and obligations. Dignitaries from BEDC will include the Alternate Director representing the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) on BEDC board , Mrs. Adelanke Omojola the Managing Director/CEO, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, Mr Abu Ismail Ejoor, Executive Director, other board members, and senior management team.

    It will be recalled that BEDC in demonstration of its commitment to the provision of improved service delivery to its customers whilst ensuring that power supply connections to its network is not dangerous to the health and safety of the public had embarked on improvement exercises.

    In terms of enumeration for instance, a door to door enumeration of existing customers and potential customers including state of the network has begun. In addition, improved and varied payment channels had been provided with options and convenience for customers in paying their bills.

  • Residents beg Ambode to prioritise water, roads, electricity in Badagry

    Residents of Badagry have urged Governor Akinwu-nmi Ambode and the lawmakers from the area to prioritise provision of water, roads and transformers for the people.

    The residents made the plea at the official inauguration of eight modern boreholes donated to the Badagry Constituency II by the lawmaker representing the area, Mr Setonji David.

    Setonji, who represents Badagry Constituency II at the Lagos State House of Assembly, donated the boreholes to mark the 2016 World Water Day in his constituency.

    He said he decided to provide the boreholes to make potable water available because many residents had no access to potable water in the area.

    According to him, many ailments and diseases could be prevented by access to potable water.

    He said: “Water is life and it is one of the basic necessities of life. It is unfortunate that many people still walk long distance in search of water, water scarcity and stress is still on the rise. When we provide clean water for citizens, they will be healthy and we will spend less money on health care.

    “In Badagry, most people do not have access to potable water and we cannot continue to look and leave them in their plight. I want to appeal to Gov. Ambode to come to the rescue of Badagry people and other areas with water challenge.”

    The lawmaker who is Chairman, House Committee on Physical Planning and Urban Development assured the residents that government was working hard to improve electricity and roads.

    Pastor Olusegun Odesanya, the Chairman, Ibiye Town Community Development Association (CDA) in Olorunda Local Council Development Area (LCDA), said residents had challenges of potable water.

    The cleric said: “The challenge of water here is so much that we have started using this borehole long before today using our power generator for pumping of water.”

    Also speaking, Alhaja Oluwakemi Idowu, the Woman Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Olorunda LCDA’s Ward C, who commended the lawmaker for the borehole, said that residents spend a lot of money to buy potable water.

    Baale of Agemowo in the same LCDA, Chief Solomon Godonu said,”We thank the lawmaker but we need more development in the area of road and electricity. Our roads are bad.”

    The boreholes are located in  Itakete Quarter, Singbomeh Compound Age Mowo,  New layout close , Ilogbo Eremi, and  Ago Egun Quarters, Ibiye in Olorunda LCDA , Badagry.

     

  • Electricity and consumer advocacy

    SIR: As someone  conversant  with  the operations of the Power  Sector,  I read with  amusement,  the  castigation of electricity distribution companies, Discos,  by a consumer protection agency recently  in the news  media. An official of the advocacy group – National Electricity Consumers Advocacy Network (NECAN) asked – what’s the basis for this increase in energy consumption unit? What pattern or model are they following and was it also approved in the Multi-Year Tariff Order, MYTO by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)?

    It  is good   that NERC,  the industry’s regulator  has already  reacted that it  is investigating the complaints against the Discos unlike in recent times when  it condemned the Discos  before  listening  to  their side  of the story.

    My  grouse  however is with  the aggressive  nature of consumer  advocacy and protection  which  has sprung up in the power sector  which is blatantly anti-Discos. Most certainly, informed  criticism  will be  beneficial  to electricity consumers, generating  companies and  Discos and enhance  the quality  of  service  delivery in the sector.  The same way, uninformed, spurious and unfounded claims against service delivery bodies like Discos will breed mistrust, acrimony and inefficiency in the industry. The  way  forward  for  successful  service  delivery  of  electricity  is therefore  obvious.

    One  should  warn  that  NECAN  should  not  follow  the  example of  Human Rights advocates  like Amnesty International where that body seems  to  be more concerned with the rights of alleged terrorists more than the victims of the terrorism of  Boko  Haram, while  also castigating Nigerian security agencies for  being  overzealous  in fighting terrorists.   NECAN  should  not  also copy  the antecedents  of shareholders associations formed by Nigerian privatisation  authorities  to  monitor the boards  of quoted  companies, which  ended in the bellies of such boards,  after they  abandoned their initial duties of vigilance and monitoring in their quest  to become  directors in the   companies they  were supposed  to monitor, to protect shareholders’ interests.

    NECAN should monitor Discos  effectively  by knowing  and appreciating the problems they face and helping them to find solutions for  effective  service delivery  which  should be the  objectives of both NECAN  and  Discos. As an insider in the industry, we know that the electricity being generated is quite paltry compared with the needs of the consumers in any of the spheres of operations of the existing 11 discos nationwide. The new tariffs approved for discos by NERC have been stopped by the Senate because it feels they are exploitative. But  NERC the  electricity regulator  has gone  to court on the new  tariffs  which are  cost reflective and  peculiar as  best practices in the global electricity  delivery  market  in which  Nigeria is a  competitor. If  NERC  is  defending the new  electricity  tariffs it approved for  discos, how can  NECAN  be  asking NERC  if it  approved the new tariffs?

    In  playing  the role of watchdog  for  Nigerian  electricity  consumers, NECAN  must learn  and know the workings  of the electricity industry  in Nigeria  so  that it does not become a toothless bulldog barking at the moon on  consumers complaints  and the problems  of service delivery  in the industry.

    NECAN  can  take  a step  forward  by  promoting  consumer  education, awareness and responsibility  by advocating   prompt  payment of electricity bills and  discouraging  illegal electricity  connections and flow  tampering common in our cities and towns. Such irritants make service delivery of electricity hazardous, unpredictable and dangerous.  That  too should  not  be blamed  on the Discos alone as it is an  environmental issue that  should  concern all stakeholders  in electricity  delivery chain and not only Discos and their billings, either  from  the meter or the infamous  inflated estimates.

     

    • Ayomide Edun

    Port Harcourt, Rivers State.