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Tag: representation

  • Ajimobi promises efficient representation

    Candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District Abiola Ajimobi has promised efficient and effective representation that will impact on the district and rub off on the Southwest.

    Ajimobi, who is the incumbent governor, made the promise when he led the party’s supporters on a road show through major areas of Ibadan, the state capital, yesterday.

    He is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    On the campaign train were the governorship candidate, Adebayo Adelabu, party leaders and other.

    Ajimobi urged the electorate to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari, Adelabu and other party candidates.

    According to the governor, he is better positioned to offer the best possible representation having served as a principal officer in the Upper Chamber, and the first two-term governor in the state.

    Read also: Hold Amosun responsible for Ogun APC campaign violence, says Odunsi

    He said: “You know us very well, and you know the APC major challengers in the coming election like the back of your hand. We are the progressives, and you know that we stand for the promotion of the people’s welfare.

    “The APC remains the best option for a country still battling to recover from the 16 years of crass ineptitude and misapplication of funds. We should not entrust this fragile economy in the hands of those who will use our commonwealth to enrich their friends.

    “I’m soliciting your vote for President Muhahmmadu Buhari and all of us contesting in this election on the platform of APC. Only our party has what it takes to take our country to the next level of development.

    “Today, the Senate has become a place where states desirous of rapid development send their best hands. Send me, and I promise you effective and efficient representation.”

  • Reps candidate pledges quality representation

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ado-Odo/Ota Federal Constituency in the February 2019 House of Representatives polls, Alhaji Sikirulahi Adekunle Mustapha-Banana, has assured the people of the constituency that he would give them quality representation that would enhance the rate of development in the area if elected into the Federal House of Representatives.

    Alhaji Mustapha-Banana, who made this remark during a chat with newsmen early in the week at Ota, Ogun State, promised that he would ensure the passage of laws that would aid the socio-economic and political development of Ado-Odo/Ota Federal Constituency in particular and Ogun State in general if elected into the National Assembly.

    He noted that his love for the protection of the interest of the people, desire to make laws to address the socio-economic problems of the people and the need to keep Nigeria one based on equality, justice and fair-play spurred him to seek election into the National Assembly.

    The PDP candidate, who reiterated his promises to the electorate during the party primaries that he would better their lots if voted into power, appealed to them to have confidence in him.

    Mustapha-Banana thanked the party’s National Working Committee and the Ogun State Executive Council of the party for ensuring fairness during the primaries in which he emerged the winner.

    He equally expressed his appreciation to community leaders, pressure groups, opinion leaders, socio-cultural associations, political leaders and leaders of thoughts in the Ado-Odo/Ota Federal Constituency for supporting his aspirations to represent them in the House of Representatives through the PDP, having been persuaded by his steadfastness, honesty, tract-record and zeal to provide purposeful services.

    The PDP chieftain, who solicited for the people’s supports for the PDP to win the 2019 general elections, urged them to remain united in order to make their dream of a socially and economically developed country a reality.

    He appealed to the people to support the Ogun State PDP governorship candidate in the forthcoming elections, Honourable Ladi Adebutu, whom he said would restore the Gateway State to path of glory

  • ‘I’ll provide fine representation’

    An aspirant for the Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency seat in Cross River State, Mr. Victor Abang, has promised constituents an effective and robust representation if elected.

    Abang, popularly called Mature, made the promise at the weekend while declaring his intention to run for the seat.

    He said he was in the race to win, adding that he had the capacity, strength, connections and contacts to achieve his ambition.

    “I came into politics years ago to pursue ideas, especially to assist the mankind, provide quality service and bring development to our people. I have kept faith with these ideals.

    “I had wished to continue to pursue these ideals without holding an elective position. Even when delegations and groups visited and invited me to run for the House of Representatives election, I refused to commit myself, but asked for prayers.

    “There is enough evidence that the people of Ikom/Boki deserve better representation. As we desire the best, we should send the best hands to represent us well and attract development to our constituency.

    “After deep reflection and consultation with God, family, friends and political associates, I have decided to offer myself to seek the nomination of All Progressives Congress (APC), to contest the 2019 general election.

    “I pledge to provide robust representation and add value to the good governance of our people.

  • ‘I’ll offer quality representation’

    An aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Bode Famakin, has promised residents of Okitipupa Constituency I in Ondo State quality representation, if voted for next year.

    Famakin spoke at Igbotako-Osooro in Okitipupa Local Government while declaring his intention to contest.

    He said: “The people of Okitipupa Constituency I have continually suffered in the hands of succeeding administrations due to bad representation; hence my resolve to salvage the hopeless and helpless situation.

    “Painfully, my people have been subjected to abject poverty and everlasting wants. This is the cause of economic and social sickness. I parade a blueprint for genuine and enduring solutions to myriads of social and economic problems confronting our people in Ondo State.

    “I wish to offer myself for the change that is needed to turn around things. I need your vote to become a member of the House of Assembly in 2019 on the platform of the APC.”

    Famakin promised to empower youths, lobby and influence the executive for his people, while the constituency allowance will be used to provide scholarship, infrastructure and assistance to cooperatives and petty traders.

    The former assistant legal adviser to Action Congress (AC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State contested for the seat on the platform of the same party in 2014-2015 primaries.

  • Senator Tinubu promises effective representation

    Senator Tinubu promises effective representation

    The well-being, effective representation and promotion of better opportunities for the people of Lagos Central will continue to motivate my actions, the senator representing the district, Oluremi Tinubu, has said.

    She spoke while reviewing her performance in the last two years as a senator.

    The senator said the last one year has been economically difficult for most Nigerians.

    Mrs. Tinubu hailedcitizens for being resilient. But, according to her, better days are here.

    “The 2017 budget of Economic Recovery and Growth which was recently passed is positioned to consolidate the benefits of the 2016 budget of change and set us on the right path to a robust economy,” she said.

    In a message on the occasion of Democracy Day, entitled: “Half-year Review”, Senator Tinubu said: “I congratulate the Nigerian Government and citizens on the celebration of the inception of the Nigerian Democracy.

    “This day, 18 years ago, Nigeria made a conscious choice – a choice to be free, to uphold the rights of the common man and to ensure involvement and participation of its citizenry in governance. It has not been an easy journey and has often, failed to meet the expectations of the average Nigerian.

    “However, there is no doubt that this administration is on the right track and given the right tools and effective application, this democracy will yield the Nigeria of our dreams.

    “This democracy day also marks half term of this democratic dispensation and administration. It is a time of sober reflections, reviewing performances and creating frameworks and action plans to ensure that shortcomings are made up for.

    “As the senator representing Lagos Central, it is time to review my performance in the last two years to ensure it is up to date in addressing problems/needs of my constituents and Nigeria as a whole.

    “Governance is a marathon, and for best results, is predicated on continuity and consistency. Thus, my commitment over the last six years has not waned. The well-being, effective representation, and promotion of better opportunities for the people of Lagos Central will continue to motivate my actions.

    “I must however commend Nigerians for being so resilient and sacrificial. The last year has been economically difficult for most. However, better days are here. The 2017 budget of Economic Recovery and Growth which was recently passed is positioned to consolidate the benefits of the 2016 budget of change and set us on the right path to a robust economy.

    “I assure Nigerians that the APC administration at both state and national levels is committed to putting in place solid structures that will ensure that Nigerians enjoy full dividends of democracy even at their doorsteps.

    “Once again, I felicitate with all the good people of Lagos Central, Lagos State, Nigerians at home and in the diaspora and wish you all the merits of democracy.”

  • Representation, legislation and leadership

    The  American  people  got independence  by violence in 1776  when  they  revolted  against British rule  and one of  their war  slogans  then  was –‘ No  taxation  without  Representation‘. The  statue  of liberty was  presented to  the American  people  by the  people  of  France   who  helped  the American  people  in their  revolt  against  British  yoke.  The  statue  of  liberty which  dominates  the sky line in  New  York Harbor    is the symbol  of  freedom  for all  peoples  of  the world that  they  are free  and welcome to  America  as immigrants  as  America  was  regarded  and  founded  as  a land  of  opportunities.

     The    statue  of  liberty   was  launched  in its present form  to celebrate  the  100   year  of  US  Independence  in  1876,  celebrated its  140th  anniversary   this  month.   Quite  appropriately  then,    it is in that  mood  that  I  look  at the concept of  freedom  inherent in democracy   today  as well  as the   functional  institutions and leadership in  global  democracies. Especially  at  this  point in time when  it seems the practice of  democracy appears  to  be stifling  the very  cries of  liberty  that gave rise to the   lady wielding a torch   of  freedom    and whose  name – Statue  of Liberty  – has  been  the pride of  the American  people  for  the past 240 years. Until  the present  rancorous and bitter  presidential  election that  has thrown  up  someone like  Donald  Trump  who  sees  migrants  to  the US  mostly  as security  risks.

    Since  Nigeria practices democracy  in  its  presidential  form which  originated from  the US, it  is pertinent to  compare  events and political  situations from   both  nations occasionally  as I  will  do  today. I  note  that   although  Nigeria  does  not  have an imposing   reminder  of its democratic  and  freedom  pedigree  like  the Statue  of  Liberty of the US  it  has  an  effective  substitute. That  is the architectural  master  piece that is our  Legislature in  Abuja as well  as  the great  ambience  of its interior decoration in luscious  green  and red  for the Lower  and Upper   Houses  respectively. The  splendor  and beauty  of  our  legislative  chambers obviously  is an index  of  the  high   premium  we place on    representative  democracy  as well  as elective democracy with  its  tenure  limited  by  constitutional  elections  as and when  due.

    However  an unintended development  has  come  out  of  the legislative splendor  we  put  in  place  to  make  our  legislators  comfortable and  focused  on their  legislative  duties  and  representation  of  the  good  people of  Nigeria whose  representatives   they are  on  the opulent  green  and red  chairs they  sit  on  to  legislate. Our  legislators  seem  to  have lost  touch  with  the mood  and expectations  of the Nigerian  electorate  that  sent  them  to  the Nigerian  legislature. Two  events  critically  bear  this disturbing situation  out.

    The  first  was the warning  given  to  the  government of  Nigeria   not  to  prosecute  the leadership  of  the Senate  on  issues of  corruption   and forgery  of  rules  on the last  leadership  elections in  the Senate.  The  second  was the proposal  to grant  immunity  as  well  as  pensions  to  the leadership  of  the legislature.

    Even  though  the two situations  are  patently    provocative   and  infuriating  to  those  who  elected them,  and   whose interests  they  have betrayed   I  am   happy  that  there  are  still  people  and institutions in our fledgling  democracy  who  have  been  bold  enough  to  call  them  to  order or  show  them  the light.  The  relevant  institutions  responsible  for  fixing such issues  has come out to say  that  only  the President  and  Vice  President  are entitled to  pension  and  immunity and  no one in the legislature according  to  the constitution  in place for now. That  should  end the  selfish    move  of  the Senate in  that regard except  they  want to  proceed on the dicey  and slippery  path of constitutional  amendment  which  will  make them even  more  unpopular and loathed  than they  are  at  present.

    Obviously  the legislators have  not  understood  the concept  and meaning of pension  which  in normal  corporate life is reward for long  employees  service  and can  be contributory  or  not.  How  come then a Senate  leader  or  President elected in the  legislature  can  aim  to  claim such  right or perquisite accorded  the executive  in our  presidential  system? Obviously  the lawmakers  are acting  out  of their  purview  and  are  like  fish  out  of water  with  those  who  gave them  their  present  mandate  and  representation.  To drive home my point  I will  illustrate with the gay  rights  and gun laws  of  the US  and  the attendant controversies  in recent  times.

    Quite controversially  for a US president  that  Africans  love  and  respect, the US President  Barak  Obama  regards the issue  of  the ruling of  the US Supreme  Court on  equal  rights  for  gays  on inheritance  as  a major  achievement of  his  two  term  presidency. Yet  a debater  on  CNN, a white lady  claimed  that the    ruling on  the issue by  the Supreme  Court usurped  the  mandate of the  American  people as the  court  was  not  elected  for such  a broad and important  matter  as gay  rights  and  the  issue  should  have gone  to  the American  people  to  vote on  in  a referendum.  This is a view  that I agree  with  and can  compare  with the decision of  the Tory Party  in  Britain on  Brexit  which went  to  a  referendum on  June 23, even  though  that  became  rowdy  and  disruptive  politically.  What  I am  saying  is that  some  issues  have  to  go  to  the people  to decide in a referendum or  election as  those  are  the barometer of  public  opinion in  a working  democracy  and  not  judicial short  cuts as in  the gay issue in the US  or  the pension  and  immunity  rights  for  the  Senate  leadership  in  Nigeria.

    On  the    charge   of political  victimisation  of the   Senate President  on  the  corruption  charges I  will  ask  the Senate  to respect  the separation  of  powers  inherent  in a presidential  system such  as we practice  for  now  in  Nigeria. The  executive  is in  charge of  law  and order in Nigeria  just  as  it is the  constitutional  duty  of  the legislature to make  laws  and approve  the budget.  In  approving the budget  which  normally  should  be a cost  control  matter  the legislature  has  encouraged  padding  to include its  membership  perquisites before budget  passage  in  the legislature  and  the Nigerian  legislator is one of the highest  paid  in the  world. The  Nigerian  constitution does  not  allow both  the senate  and  the  executive to interfere in  court cases  once  they  are  on and  that  of  the Senate President cannot  be an  exception. Equally  untenable was  the defence  posture  of  the Senate  President  that  the additional  case  of leadership  election forgery  would  be an added  pressure  on  him  in  the performance of his onerous duty as Senate  President. He  is well  advised  to ease  such pressure  by resigning  so  as to  have time to clear himself  of  the law  so as to  meet  the very  challenging  duty  of  leading the  hallowed  task  of  law  making  in  our  Upper  Chamber.  Once  again, long  live  the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • Oluremi Tinubu: Giving new meaning to representation

    In the last five years, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who represents Lagos Central Senatorial District at the Senate, has kept faith with the resolve to interface regularly with her constituents on deliberations at the upper legislative chamber. Such meetings also present an opportunity for her to empower the people. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, who witnessed the latest of such efforts, reports.

    It was a carnival of sorts for chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), traditional rulers, community leaders, youths, market men and women, as well as former Executive Secretaries of local councils from Lagos Central Senatorial District, their spouses and all lovers of democracy.

    As early as 7am on that fateful Friday, Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos, where the event took place, was already a beehive of activities; as preparations for the 18th Town Hall Meeting hosted by the senator representing Lagos Central District in the Red Chamber, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, got underway. The event was billed to start by 9am, but by 8am the venue was almost filled to the brim. The fact that the amiable senator does not believe in African time must have encouraged everyone to arrive ahead of time. She was on hand to welcome all participants to the venue.

    The town hall meeting was designed to bring government closer to the people, by intimating them about deliberations at the Senate, the upper legislative chamber, which is also known as the Red Chamber. Apart from interacting with her constituents, another reason for the meetings are to give back to the people, by delivering democracy dividends to as many of them as possible.

    The 18th edition hosted by Senator Tinubu – 4th in the 8th Senate – was no exception. During the event, which took place under the theme, ‘Creating Purposeful Partnerships’,   she handed over 250 General Certificate of Education (GCE) forms worth over N3 million to various leaders in the senatorial district, for onward distribution to indigent students who need to make up their entry requirements into tertiary institutions.

    In her address, the senator representing Lagos Central District implored the party chieftains who constituted channels for distributing the forms to ensure that they hand them over to worthy beneficiaries in their various communities and not members of their families.

    She said: “I need people to get my work done; I cannot identify those in need of it at the grassroots level — that is why I am partnering with these people. The partnership for me is purposeful, not only for the reason of empowerment, but to have the multiplier effect of creating more jobs, making the empowered to be employers of labour with the aim of making unemployment a thing of the past.”

    The distribution of the forms was done as follows: A form was handed over to each of the local government chairman within the district (13 in all); two each to the leaders of the 92 wards (184); one each to leaders of the 35 barracks in the district; and one each to leaders in the 18 districts.

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Chief Gbolahan Lawal, promised to pay for additional 25 forms, to be handed over to traditional rulers in the district, who will in turn give them to indigent students in need of it.

    Besides the current empowerment effort, Senator Tinubu said she remains committed to the various ongoing developmental programmes initiated earlier, such as the Post Secondary Scholarship Scheme (PSSS), the Petty Traders Empowerment Scheme (PETECS), the Widows Economic Empowerment Scheme (WEES), the Elderly Citizens’ Assistance Scheme (ECAS) and the Muniru Muse U-12/U-15 Boys and Girls Soccer Competition.

    The above programmes are being sustained to provide succour to the needy and nurture the talents of the beneficiaries in the district.

    The Senator representing Lagos Central said other empowerment programmes that are on course include a recent collaboration with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), where 50 nominated constituents from the 13 local councils acquired skills. The three-month intensive training programme covered five different trades. These are: catering and small chops; photography and video; telephone set repair; barbing and hairdressing; and smoked fish business.

    The trainees have graduated and received their testimonials, as well as take-off grants and kits to start their businesses.

    Tinubu said there has been a slight modification in her youth empowerment initiatives. She said: “The Good Boys and Girls Empowerment Scheme (GBGES) has been merged with Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition Scheme (YESAS), hence, five tricycles were given to some of our youth, i.e. our Good Boys and Good Girls in the district to earn a living.

    “Thirteen units of 6.5 KVA generating sets were distributed to our hardworking local government party chairmen. Ten block-making machines were also distributed to some members from the constituency, through their cooperative societies.”

    During the 17th Town Hall Meeting, held in March 2016, Senator Tinubu empowered some constituents, through the Petty Traders Empowerment Scheme (PETECS) and the YESAS initiatives. She said: “For the YESAS, leading 28 other unemployed graduate tricycles beneficiaries was Mr. Okachi Henry Chekwube, who proved the age-long saying that ‘punctuality is the soul of business’, being the first beneficiary to arrive at the venue; hence he got the more spacious and bigger tricycle, while 50 others got grinding machines under the PETECS initiative.

    “Sending a farmer to the farm with cutlass and hoe, but without the seedlings may prove a helpless task; thus our resolve to allow a take-off grant of N20, 000.00 (20 thousand naira) to each of the beneficiaries to enable them buy fuel, in the case of tricycle beneficiaries and for other implements for the new ventures, in the case of PETECS beneficiaries.”

    Senator Tinubu also tried to give a highlight of the activities of the six committees she belongs to at the Senate. The committees are: Women Affairs (Chairman); Environment (Vice Chairman); Airforce (Member); Employment, Labour and Productivity (Member); Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND (Member); and Constitution Amendment (Member).

    For instance, the Committee on Women Affairs under her leadership helped to collate data nationwide on women involvement in politics from 1999 to 2015. The nationwide exercise was organised by the National Centre for Women Development, Abuja.

    As Chairman of the Committee on Women Affairs, she was in the delegation that represented Nigeria at the 60th session of the Commission on the Status of Women that took place at the United Nations headquarters, New York, United States of America in March. The main theme of the session was women’s empowerment and its link to sustainable development, while the review theme was the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.

    She said: “On May 27, 2016, in commemoration of the International Children’s Day 2016 with the theme, ‘Stop Violence Against Children’, I moved a motion that was overwhelmingly supported by my colleagues and all the nine prayers were approved. This included mandating the Committee to further look into the implementation and enforcement of the Child’s Rights Act in states that are yet to do so and make recommendations to the Senate.”

    Quoting the quintessential German theoretical physicist, who once said “only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile”, Senator Tinubu enjoined everyone to contribute their own quota towards uplifting the people. She added that they should continue to have confidence and faith in the nation and in the present government, “as we are all in the planting season and sooner, there shall be a bountiful harvest”.

    Earlier in his welcome address, the Leader of the APC, Lagos Central Senatorial District, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, described Senator Tinubu as diligent, devoted and hardworking and enjoined the womenfolk and the younger generation to emulate her.

    Olusi expressed satisfaction that the party leaders took the right decision when they appealed to the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to allow her to represent the constituency once again during the last general elections.

    Speaker after speaker at the town hall meeting poured encomiums on Senator Tinubu, saying she is an exemplary senator, who has given a new meaning to representation, by persistently showering love on her constituents.

    Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun Sanni, said Lagos Central is blessed with a senator that has done what is expected of her. He added: “We thank her for not taking us for granted. If she had not done what she is doing, there is no way we would have known that it is possible to do such, because no one has ever done this before.

    The event was graced by leaders of the APC at different levels, party chieftains and other stakeholders within the constituency. Among dignitaries that graced the occasion are: former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, Hon. Tunde Balogun, Sen. Muniru Muse, Hon. Ayodeji Joseph, Hon. Mutiu Aare, Hon. Gbolahan Yishau, Hon. Muyiwa Jimoh, Hon. Abiodun Elegusi, Hon. Yomi Daramola and Hon. Musa Nasir.

    Others are some of the newly-appointed Sole Administrators of local councils in Lagos: Lukman Babatunde Alao (Apapa); Goke Olawale (Ikoyi/Obalende); and Olumide Olayeni (Apapa/Iganmu). The Onido of Iddo, Oba Lateef Aderibigbe Ajose represented the traditional ruler of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu 1. He was accompanied by a retinue of first class chiefs from the district, including: Chief Akin Ojora and Otunba Tayo Oyemade.

    A number of senior citizens, including Ahaja Latifat Gbajabiamila and Alhaja Abba Folawiyo, were also present.

  • Tariff without representation

    Tariff without representation

    It is now incumbent on Fashola to ensure improved power supply, having made Nigerians cough up more for it

    Come February 1, electricity consumers in the country will have to cough up more money in line with the approval given for increases in tariffs granted the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) by the Federal Government.

    With the new tariff structure, residential consumers (R2) will pay on the average 48 per cent more than what they are currently paying. Consumers under the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company who are paying N19.96 as energy charge currently will pay N29.56, representing an increase of 48.1 per cent; those under the Eko Disco will now pay N28.75 instead of N18.75, representing 53.3 per cent increase.

    Those under Ikeja, Kaduna and Benin Discos, who are paying N14.96, N20.66 and N18.46 for a unit of electricity, will from February 1 pay N22.96, N31.71, and N27.72, respectively. These represent 53.5 per cent, 53.5 per cent and 49.62 per cent rise for the three Discos, respectively. Commercial consumers (C2) under the Ibadan and Enugu Discos, who are paying N26.79 and N29.05 for a unit of energy, will from February 1 pay N38.87 and N42.4, respectively. These represent 45.1 per cent and 45.9 per cent increase in the respective rates.

    Asking consumers to pay more for goods or services would ordinarily not be an issue in view of the many vicissitudes that the country’s economy has witnessed in recent times. One is here talking about the crash of the naira and all that. But we know that market forces work in mysterious ways in Nigeria. In the days of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and its successor, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), electricity tariffs were fixed arbitrarily. What consumers paid was a function of so many things, including whether the meter reader liked your face or not; and this is also a function of how far you could go in greasing their palms. If you were not the ‘hospitable’ type, you were at the mercy of the meter reader who slammed you with whatever amount he liked. They called it crazy or estimated bill. The meter reader had no business reading your meter. Indeed, some of them would tell those of us who could confront them that they had revenue targets (but not power supply targets) that they must meet, else they would be in trouble themselves.

    To show the absurdity in that era, I will cite one or two personal examples. The first was an occasion when, from Good Friday of a particular year our light did not blink for 21 consecutive days. Yet, when the then NEPA people brought their bill, I was asked to pay the usual amount that had been ‘gazetted’ into their system in my name. There was another occasion that a ‘molue’ fell one electricity pole in my area, which was a stone’s throw from the NEPA undertaking there leading to power disruption for nine straight days. I was still slammed the usual estimated bill. This, largely, was what the present owners of the Discos inherited and it seems quite okay by them. It was only after the reality dawned on them that the former President Goodluck Jonathan is out that they also realised that an abrupt end had to come for their disco party. The truth is that because of the unearned money that these companies are making from hapless Nigerian consumers, they are not in a hurry to let go of the ancien regime of tariff. They had thought that the music would continue, with former President Jonathan in control.

    Normally, increased tariff should translate to improved efficiency. That is, other things being equal. But Nigeria is a peculiar country. Other things can never be equal in a situation where there are about four broad categories of electricity consumers and not all of them are paying for electricity. The first are those consumers whose meters are in good condition; the second are those with meters that are faulty; the third are those consumers without meters but the power firms are aware of and therefore give them some form of bills monthly. The fourth category is those that are not on the power firms’ records because they tapped electricity illegally. One would naturally assume that those with working meters would have their meters read. This is wrong assumption because many meter readers back then (and even now) as I said never read meters; they already had their minds on what to bill consumers. Only a few of them did and still do their work conscientiously.

    Now, if meter readers are not under compulsion to read even meters that are working, why would they want to listen to those with faulty meters, begging that the meters be replaced so they can have a fair idea of electricity they consume? If a meter is not working, does the solution lie in guesswork? The power firms simply ignore demands for meters that are not in good condition because the idea is not necessarily to bill consumers for what they consume but to make money off the consumers, even if illegally. As for the category of those that the power firms know are connected to the national grid but do not have meters, what they pay is either determined arbitrarily as ever from the offices or the meter reader uses his discretion to determine their bills, depending on their ‘standing’ with him.

    So, for me, where to start is not necessarily in raising tariffs. This is putting the cart before the horse. The first thing is for each Disco to have a proper enumeration of its customers, bringing into the net those who had tapped electricity illegally. As things stand, they cannot in all conscience say they have done that. And until this is done, some other people would continue to subsidise the electricity consumed by such people.

    It is going to be easy to make people who entered into a business genuinely to make profit to shape up. But not so for companies that never thought the days of impunity of the Jonathan era would end so suddenly. Quote me, they would soon start asking for another tariff review unless they first change their business module, and then bring in people who are using electricity illegally because they can never recoup their money the way things are, not to talk of make profit. It was former President Olusegun Obasanjo who should have asked the then NEPA how it did it, when in the early years of his administration NEPA said it had succeeded in raising revenue from less than N2billion monthly to about N6billion at a time power supply had ebbed considerably.

    If you are wondering where I got my headline from, it was graciously supplied by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) boss, Sam Amadi, when he told reporters the process through which the new tariff structure passed before it was approved. “We have gone to the Discos, gotten feedback, gone to government and gotten feedback”. So, where did they put the electricity consumers in all of these? I know the Discos themselves had tried to carry consumers along but failed because no rational thinking electricity consumer would make himself available for suicide by agreeing with them on tariff increase, given the numerous failed promises in the past on electricity supply.

    When announcing the (then) impending tariff hike, the MInister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola had appealed for understanding from electricity consumers. To the extent that Nigerians are not protesting the new order, at least not loudly, it can be taken that they have accepted his plea for understanding, but it is incumbent on the minister to extract efficiency from the power firms. Otherwise, he would have succeeded in allowing Discos that never prepared to do business in the kind of environment they now find themselves to further con hapless Nigerians. Worse, he would have succeeded in also eroding the goodwill on the crest of which President Muhammadu Buhari rode to power.

    Lest I forget, the minister also made the usual comparison between the electricity sector and the telecoms sector to buttress his point about the advantage of privatisation. I disagree. They are two different things. If as a consumer I am dissatisfied with a particular telecoms provider, I can switch to another even without losing my number. I mean I can simply port. It is not so with the electricity sector where consumers are inexorably tied to the DISCO in their area.

  • Speaker urges students’ leaders on good representation

    Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Razaq Atunwa, has advised students’ leaders to promote the interests of their colleagues, saying the essence of unionism was to make life meaningful to students.

    Atunwa said this while delivering a keynote address at the maiden Pan-African Students’ Parliamentary Conference held at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN). The conference was organised by the parliament of the institution’s Students’ Union Government (SUG).

    The Speaker, who took the students through the history of parliament, stressed that parliamentarians should always strive to pursue interests of their people and not their personal one.

    He said: “As parliamentarians, you must work hand-in-hand with the executive arm of the Students’ Union to make good laws and protect the interest of the students.”

    Atunwa said executive lawlessness remained the bane of participatory democracy, citing the recent invasion of the National Assembly by the police, which made members of the House of Representatives to scale iron-fence to sit.

    Atunwa described the legislators as heroes that should be commended, noting that democracy would die if people did not make effort to curtail excesses of the executive. The Speaker described the action of the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, to interpret the law as rascality, saying: “The police are not meant to adjudicate, but to protect lives and property of the citizens.”

    In his remark, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali, said that the conference would provide a platform for the discussion of ideas that will generate solutions to challenges facing Africa. The VC was represented by his deputy on Innovation and Science and Technology, Prof Gabriel Olatunji.

    The Senate President of the union Senate Council, Wasiu Haruna, said Africa would play a lead role in the contemporary world if the legislature rose to her task of enacting progressive laws that would fast-track development.

    The conference, which was held in honour of Dr Ali Ahmad, chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Justice, attracted participants from different tertiary institutions within and outside the country.

  • Aspirant promises quality representation

    One of the aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ojo Federal Constituency, Mr. Mubashiru Hassan  has been described as the right person to represent the constituency in 2015 general elections. He is contesting for a seat in the House of Representatives.

    Members of the party who trooped out in large number to welcome Mr. Hassan during his visit to Ojo Local Government Area and two other local council development areas of Iba and Oto/Awori praised his past activities as a Permanent Secretary/Auditor-General for local government of Lagos State, adding that as a “round peg in a round hole” he stands a better chance to bring the deserved development to the constituency.

    Speaking at Ijanikin, the chairman of the party in the local government area and former council chairman for Ojo Local Government Area, Hon. Musibau Ashafa described Hassan as the best man for the job in this dispensation.

    He said: “The era of mediocrity is gone, we are now in the dispensation of excellence and credible and reliable representation. Mr. Hassan is a better choice.”

    Similarly, one of the ward chairmen from Iba local council development area, Mr. Habeeb Hassan opined that with Hassan as the representative of the people of Ojo and its environs at the lower chamber of the National Assembly, development which has been a mirage in the area will be experienced by the community.

    Mr. Habeeb pledged the support of all APC loyalists in the LCDA for Hassan.

    Other APC leaders who praised the intension of Mr. Hassan included Mr. Awesu Quadri from Oto-Awori LCDA and the chairman for the 15 wards chairmen forum that make up the three council areas, Mr. Alayaki Sheidu from Ojo local government.

    Responding, Mr. Hassan assured the party supporters and the entire people of the constituency of a speedy development and total execution of all his good plans which he tagged “the contract.”