Although long over flogged, the fears and workability of PHCN as it is presently
constituted as well as its epileptic services have continued to generate complex controversies than answerable questions to Nigerians.
However, sensitive and intense as PHCN activities have been, hope was again inspired at the inception of President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration in May, 2007.
To this end, a proposed state of emergency by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua suggested that the much awaited but elusive stable and efficient energy sector was in sight.
Unfortunately, more than a year going now, the sad story seems to have degenerated. The direction of PHCN as well as the benefits expected to be derived from the huge resource commitment to it, is becoming blurred by the day. This is pathetically more so, given the revelations by the Elumelu-led Committee on Energy Sector of alleged billions of dollars’ fraud. The report of this committee is being speculated to be under threat by teleguided compromise, hence the delay or abandonment of the proposed state of emergency.
In as much as Nigerians would want to cautiously bear with the seemingly terminal aches being created by the non-availability of power to drive the Nigerian economy, the monumental damage as a result can and will never be adequately quantified; even if stable power supply eventually becomes a reality in Nigeria. Based on these facts, it has become a sombre reflection to give President Yar’Adua the benefit of time and purpose, while anxiously awaiting any action that can help restore PHCN to its functions.
However, a more pertinent case that actually necessitated this involvement is the decision by the Federal government to contemplate an increase in tariffs on a service that have failed in its entirety just as the ambiguous ownership of the new card meter is yet to be resolved.
While it is believed that the increase in tariffs which the Federal Government has agreed to shoulder for the first three years should be discussed at another date, the issues arising from the ownership of the meter have nevertheless remain unsettled. Suffice to say that when the long proposed and now functional electricity card meter was being introduced, it became ironic that the skepticism that greeted its reception was alarming and repulsive. On a careful scrutiny however, and due to some period of usage the fears seem to have been justified just as it has been realized that people were so alarmed not only because of the fear of its workability, but were also concerned with its inherent design as an instrument of unimaginable and uncontrolled exploitation; where the consumers have no choice.
Again, this alarm was heightened owing to the fact that there was no deliberate avenue for proper enlightenment and education concerning how the meter works and how it will affect the Nigerian consumer as the end user. In other words, there was no deliberate socio-political and structural process to input and accommodate the plight, contributions, expectations and even fears of the populace, whose acceptance and consumption as a matter of fact, form the bedrock of PHCN’s sustainability and success. To this fact, it goes to show that the Nigerian citizens and consumers are never considered either legally or morally, when essential utilities that directly affect them are being introduced. This is pathetically more so when it is noted that the issues at stake or matter being contemplated and negotiated derive its success from the co-operation and hard earned payments by the citizenry, whose comfort in most cases are not considered, either by their own government or the services providers.
As it is, although there is reluctance to dwell on it, it seem no sad omen in Nigeria to experience, discuss and even dramatise power outages, corrupt tendencies and institutional failures even at the policy stage.
In some other climes for instance, a day or two of power outages or interruption usually instigate long term planning and as such, considered emergency and treated as such. This is usually to avert multidimensional consequences or put subtly, to help the economy.
As far as we can remember, right from the days of Rural Electricity Board (REB) in the late 60s and early 70s, through NEPA to a now christened PHCN, Nigerians have never experience uninterrupted power supply for at least a week. This fact stands to be corrected. Instead, we have continue to long to the point of becoming giraffes, exhaustively hoping for efficient and stable power services that may never be even 48 years after independence.
Sad enough, the federal government out of omission or commission, is conniving with its cronies to suffocate its citizens with policies that can never be contemplated elsewhere in the world. This brings us to the question: Who owns the Electricity card Meter? Is it the consumer, the government or the utility managers? These questions have become very pertinent simply because, individual consumers from the start, are being compelled to pay at least N962 per month as debt for the new meter; for up to 23 months and without which, recharge cards are withheld and consumers denied the possibility to purchase for use. The irony of this anomaly is that even while we all know that this is wrong, we have long joined the bandwagon and decided to comply without questioning and resistance.
Critically speaking, the need to resist such policy is very rife. This is because, when one looks very closely at the new card meter, there is clearly an inscription at the lower part that specified thus:
This electricity meter is the property of supply authority (PHCN) and is never sold. The use hereof is subjected to the supply authority’s publish conditions of supply
(emphasis mine).
There is a deduction derived from the above statement of fact. It is that the meter at every point in time, remains the property of PHCN as the case may be, and never to be sold; except that the cost of credit units to be consumed is subjected to PHCN’s conditions – another unilateral exploitation you may say!
At what point did this inscription now changed? Even at that, Nigerians either out of ignorance, fear and disillusionment are being compelled to pay for a property that was certain from day one can never and will never be theirs. This is sad and unfair!
The point being made here is that there is semblance of insensitivity when PHCN decided to sell the meter to the public and at the same time, retain it as its inheritance.
On these scores, it will not be out of place for President Yar’Adua, the National and State Houses of Assembly to urgently take PHCN and its activities as a matter of public importance so that in part, they can help nurture confidence and loyalty that will continue to attract national and positive values among the Nigerian populace.
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