The world, as we have it today, dwells in the workspace of scientific progressions in different walks of life. There is basically nothing in the world today that did not come with science and inventions, if there is, then I have not seen. Nonetheless, these scientific advancements and originations have transformed the world and the lives of people. There is no doubt that science has made the world today a better settlement to live in. Definitely, these inventions make a greater impression on the public than others, and some quickly become part of the everyday life of commoners.
I wonder what the world would be without science and technology. This is the very reason that we must give glories to the world scientists and inventors for their varied weighty contributions to the lives of the common people throughout history. A motivating point is that some of these discoveries came through inevitability, while others came by coincidence. Nevertheless, which of them is more important?
What can we do without electricity today? Electricity is one of those discoveries that have changed the daily life of an average man and woman in Nigeria. Without electricity, most of the things that we use, here in Nigeria, every day simply cannot work, and maybe would never have been invented. For instance, our gadgets, our vehicles, our industrial machines, ATM machines, our household appliances, even our electric bulbs would not function without power supply. All of these things need power supply to function adequately. In fact, they become unusable and ineffectual when there is power outage. So, to live properly in our homes, and the community at large, there is a great need for constant electric supply. Whether we like it or not, human beings have an attachment to electricity.
In a country like Nigeria for instance, living without power supply is as though life has ended. For most part of Nigeria, darkness is a normal phenomenon; people sleep, wake, eat and farm in total blackout. Torchlights and lamplights have become close companions to humankind in our communities today. Even the light bulbs function more as decors to houses than the original intention for which Thomas Alva Edison made them. This is based on the fact that they only come on with the help of generator sets and for the commoners who do not have generator sets, their light bulbs will just remain that way.
Now, power generators that are supposed to be backups are now the major means of power supply in Nigeria. There is barely a house you will not find a generator and most of these generator sets in the country cause a lot of air pollution that is very harmful to the community.
I cannot forget the Lagos smog incidence of 2015, October 15 precisely. One of the causes linked to this menace was power generating systems, like generator sets, we should be conversant with the rate at which generators are used in that Decapolis. If there was a steady supply of power, that possibly would not have happened. However, as long as lubricants and gases are being used to run our generator sets at homes, places of work and so on because of the irregular supply of power, the environment will be unsafe for man to live, subsequently creating serious health hazard on man.
When electricity supply was handed over to private investors, Nigerians had a sigh of relief hoping that power shutdowns and outages would be a thing of the past in Nigeria. After four years of privatization, one would usually suppose a swift evolution in power supply. But it is too ill-fated to indicate that the sector is still in fiascoes. It is even more exasperating now knowing that Nigerians even pay more and get less power supply. It is only in Nigeria that power company would distribute electricity bills and disconnect the power supply of customers in one day.
We cannot even venture into the fact that electricity bills are paid and amounts most times are not indicated. So awful! Maybe we should go back to our normal NEPA tariffs, because Nigerians are really deficient in what they have paid for. I think strongly that for a country like Nigeria is to get out of recession, we would need to improve on our power supply, both on domestic and industrial fronts.
Sometime ago, I visited Onicha-Ugbo, a small town in Aniocha North Local Government Area in Delta State here in Nigeria. This community has been left aside from power supply for over nine years now, as I was told. Yet that community has produced people who have made waves in national and international levels, not to talk of people that coordinated national economy in this country. Livelihood and survival in that community is for those who are strong. Where are we headed? Only God who knows and sees the future can answer this question!
Poor power supply is not just peculiar to Onicha-Ugbo community, there are other communities who have not seen even the blink of electricity supply. I wonder what would happen to life styles and the normal daily doings in these communities. The petty provision stores, tailoring centers, iron bending workshops, computer business centers, hair beauty saloons and other petty businesses in the area are not moving smoothly. The cost of operation is on the high side due to the fact that they use petrol or diesel as the case may be. For instance, imagine a state like Niger that houses three hydro power stations to be in want of power supply. If Niger state suffers such devastating situation, what would we say of Edo state that has only one?
There is an annoying part of this whole hopeless story of poor power supply. This is the very fact that the Power Holding Company has even increased the usual Two Thousand Naira for reconnection fee to Five Thousand Naira. Let us say for houses who struggle to pay Two Thousand Naira for light consumption bills monthly, how do they expect them to afford Five Thousand Naira when they are disconnected, especially in this recession period?
Some of the officials of our power suppliers are very corrupt. They are corrupt in the sense that they even forcefully collect bribes from customers who are unable to pay their bills.
I share in the common feelings that an assessment of the privatization of the resources of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria with a view to returning the sector to public control be carried out. I just believe that a lot of Nigerians have lost hope in a stable power supply in Nigeria. If a review is done, the operational modus operandi would be well spelt out and customers would be happy again. Because customers pay for darkness instead of light .
There should also be an open market policy. Customers should be able to pay for what they use and stop illegally tapping of electricity from the high-tension poles along the street which has led to a lot of destruction of lives and properties in Nigeria. The Power Holding Company came out with the prepaid meters which never worked for Nigerians because of the manipulations involved.
Even with the colossal headways made in the power sector since it was privatized, majority of Nigerians still live without access to consistent supply of electricity. I think there are lots of factors that are responsible for this unwelcome downfall. Corruption, funding, vandalism and so on could be causes to the objectionable ailment of the Nigerian Power Sector. If the government succeeds in seeing to the apt revivification of this sector that is becoming extinct, there would be a tremendous lift in the economy of the nation.
In a chronic situation like ours, where the government is failing to realize that her citizens are suffering the use of power supply, financially gifted and self-made individuals can even go into renewable energy as source of power. These sources can be renewed in themselves. Solar is one of those sources.
Solar as a source of power supply is rechargeable and its supply is limited. We experience a reasonable amount of sunlight in this part of the continent, which we have failed to utilize. I bet you, the amount of sunlight we experience daily can upturn the power supply drought in the country. Solar energy can even be set up in small quarters in the community, hence very suitable for community management. So, with an appropriate incorporation of solar energy into the national developmental plans of Nigeria, there will be a drastic drop in the use of fossil fuel which can lead to greenhouse gas emission and unquestionably upsurge employment opportunities in the country.
Nigerians are suffering in hush and their hopes for a better Nigeria is fading off. This problem is eating everyone up. As it is faced by owners of industries so it is the case with the woman selling iced water on the street, none can do without electric supply. I must remark again, if Nigeria wants to count herself in the comity of developed nations; electricity must be in steady supply. The government needs to raise the hopes of Nigerians once again. They need to harness the resources we have and use them to solve Nigeria’s problem of electricity, for those who do not weep, do not see.
Fr. Akowe John-Duke is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria.
Follow Us On WhatsApp
