Of demons, witches and the Minister of Power

And you reminded us that South Africa was generating 40,000 megawatts for her 40 million population while Nigeria was still battling with generation of 4,000 for her 170 million population. I cannot easily forget that day, of your ministerial screening, because I was watching it on the television in the company of my friends. I […]

And you reminded us that South Africa was generating 40,000 megawatts for her 40 million population while Nigeria was still battling with generation of 4,000 for her 170 million population. I cannot easily forget that day, of your ministerial screening, because I was watching it on the television in the company of my friends. I boasted to my friends that my former vice chancellor was going to fix our power sector for good and I told them how you turned my alma mater from analog to digital.
In view of those achievements, I was optimistic that you would restructure our power sector, and when different media houses were making mockery of your arbitrary use of ‘demons’ and ‘witches’ in the power sector, I assured people around me that you knew what you were saying. Regrettably, barely one month to the expiration of this administration, I am compelled to humbly ask you: What is the current status of the demons and witches you met in our power sector?
I do not want to talk about the issue of power generation in Nigeria or in Port Harcourt where I live, since we are already accustomed to the sounds of our generating sets. What happened to the prepaid meters that were once introduced in some parts of the country? Why are the prepaid meters not evenly distributed? Why are your workers still distributing the old analog meters at this 21st century? Why is it so that when somebody pays for a meter, it takes an eternity before delivery and installation? The questions are legion.
The manager of Wazobia FM, Nigeria Info and Cool FM Port Harcourt just announced about two days ago that they had been using their generating sets for about three months. The story was corroborated by a prominent staff of your sector in Port Harcourt, arguing that it was a ‘breaker’ problem. If rectification of a ‘breaker’ problem takes about three months, that means we’re in a pitiful state in this country. Many companies are leaving our country for neighbouring countries due to power failure in our dear country. Alternative sources of power generation will increase the cost of production. When these companies leave our country, the workers that are laid-off will add to our unemployment load. Why can’t the much-touted largest economy in Africa unable to boast of at least 18 hours of electricity per day?
Having superintended over our power sector for more than two years now, can you honourably retract your earlier statement that ‘uninterrupted power supply is not a mirage.’  Yes, gas pipeline vandalism has really affected our power generation but my question is, did you not consider that before declaring your ‘spiritual’ warfare on the demons and witches in the sector?

John wrote in from Port Harcourt, Rivers State ([email protected])