The Burden of Electricity Distribution, by Oseni Obaro

Our guest contributor Oseni Obaro writes for Naij.com once again. This time, in his entry The Burden Of Electricity Distribution, he sadly remembers brighter times when electricity supply used to be steady and uninterrupted, and urges the relevant organisations to look into the matter.

When we were growing up as kids in the late 70′s and early 80′s, we knew that whenever there’s power outage, there must be a major technical fault occasioned by an environmental interference, or a weather-induced one. I remember vividly that, within the shortest possible time (usually within hours), an announcement was made on radio and television, apologies rendered to the public with assurances to rectify the hitches.

Time was in Nigeria when power outages were almost impossible. But the reverse is now, sadly and unfortunately, the case.

The exclamation "Up, NEPA!" now characterizes expressions of joy and relief whenever electricity is brought, as Nigerians rush to charge their phones and other electrical appliances, anticipating that power may go off any moment.

"Crazy bills" have now become the order of the day as the public are made to pay from N10,000 to N15,000 per month for electricity bills for a two- or three-bedroom flat apartments. Nigerians are often harassed into paying bills for electricity they had never used. Threats of disconnection coerce many into paying for what they don’t use just to save face and maintain their pride in their communities. "Inherited bills" now seem to have come to stay, as new tenants of an apartment might be forced and harassed into clearing any outstanding bills owed by the former tenants. Meter charges are included in the monthly bills even though the-so called electricity meters aren’t working or functioning.

The introduction of prepaid meters few years ago came as a relief to many, but hopes were dashed when people understood that those meters were actually meant for the "VIP" customers. Some Nigerians had to pay through their nose just to get a prepaid meter, but after paying as high as between N50,000 to N100,000, some have waited endlessly with no hope of getting it, whereas their money wasn’t returned.

The electricity transmission companies often shy away from taken responsibilities to restore or repair power installations whenever occasion arises. The affected communities usually are made to contribute certain amounts of money to fix even the minutest faults even though they still have to settle their bills at the end of every month.

Some enjoy almost uninterrupted power supply daily, while the majority of Nigerians can hardly boast a four-hour supply per day. This clearly shows that a lot needs to be done as regards to power distribution in Nigeria.

With particular reference to the Kwara State capital Ilorin, where I reside, communities like Airport, Asa-Dam/dangote, Agbo Oba, Ganmo, Ita-Alamu, Olunlade and some parts of Osere and G.R.A. usually have almost 24 hours uninterrupted power supply at the expense of other communities which constitute almost 70% of the state capital, even though the billings don’t reflect this disparity and lopsidedness.

It doesn’t really matter the quantity of electricity Nigeria generates. What matters is how much of electricity a household enjoys. Even if the country generates a million megawatts of electricity, it wouldn’t make any sense if, at the end of the day, an average Nigerian doesn’t get to enjoy it. Hence, the need for the power transmission companies to look urgently into their modus operandi to resolve and rectify the anomalies in electricity distribution.

Electricity consumers should get their money’s worth. It is not normal when some enjoy electricity 24/7 while the majority pays bills for electricity they didn’t use. Nigerians are calling on the relevant agencies like the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and all other major stakeholders in power transmission and distribution to come to the aid of the common man with the aim of addressing the issues raised above, to ensure that the right things are done to move this country forward.