Of Electricity Daily Per Citizen

have to fuel our generating sets every time, just in a bid to stay a bit comfortable. Sustaining this is a very expensive venture.

“Artisans, including welders have abandoned their jobs and are now operating as commercial motorcyclists because there is no electricity to run their business. So many businesses that are electric-dependent cannot continue to operate because of this epileptic power supply, yet these people have to feed their families, pay house rent, and take care of other personal needs.

“I urge the government to stop giving excuses, but to move fast and fix the power sector. It should ban the importation of power generating sets because in my opinion, this is contributing to the problem. If not, how can Togo, Cotonou, Chad and other small countries have uninterrupted power supply and we don’t. If power is fixed, the economy will improve tremendously,” says Ayobade.

Dr. Raliat Akerele, a psychiatrist who lives in the Anthony area of Lagos State is bothered about the effect of epileptic power supply on individuals and the negative impact this has on the society.

“Over the while, outages, which last for varying length of time have become the norm. Suffice it to say the periods of power supply have become few and far in between. To make matters worse, the heat wave in different parts of the country affects productivity on a personal, occupational and social level. I constantly feel I am about to die of heat stroke with the rate at which I perspire, soaking my outfits through and through; I have zero tolerance for frustration and seem to tire easily. As for the heat rash, as some are disappearing others are replacing them,” Akerele said. She continued: “I work at the Child and Adolescents Unit of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Oshodi Annex. On my first day of resumption, I found out that I couldn’t consult due to the heat, and even the patients (children were cranky). Though I have acclimatised, I still find myself rushing to get off work so I can come home and take a shower but alas there is no rest for the weary because the situation is much the same at home. The inverter I have managed to purchase is not big enough to power the air conditioner and using the generator to power the air conditioner is a luxury I can ill afford as there are other pressing demands like ensuring the things in the freezer do not get spoilt.

“To the government, I would like to suggest that it understudy African countries like Ghana and Kenya, which have had steady electricity supply over the years. And in case the issue is that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing is overwhelmed with the portfolio handed him, it should be divided among capable hands. The hardship suffered by citizens just keeps increasing and Nigerians are no longer smiling,” Akerele said.

Tochukwu Michael Tochukwu, an entrepreneur is totally distraught that the power situation is his Satellite Town has gone from bad to worse.

“I am a resident of Alaba Okiri Street, Satelite Town, and I can tell you reliably that the light situation there is now worse and all the residents are really suffering. We rarely have power supply and whenever it is restored it goes off at regular intervals. There is no gain saying that the government has really failed us in this area, where there are no good roads, no presence of government. The light situation in this area has been the same for the past eight years, which means that there has been no difference since the present government came into office. While we are never sure of having light, the only thing that we are sure of is that the power distribution office will bring outrageous bills for those that are without prepaid metres and they will be mandated to pay despite the epileptic supply. “I have a show room at 402 Link Road, 23 Road Market, Festac Town. You won’t believe that since January when they took off our supply in questionable circumstances not even a bulb has blinked. I can’t explain just how it hurts leaving us to run our businesses with power generating sets since January,” Tochukwu stated.

He added: “After we have suffered all these in the day, we return home in the evening to another round of suffering occasioned by noise pollution from generators. The whole place is so uncomfortable to live in. Apart from the noise pollution, the fumes inhaled is also poisonous to our bodies, and capable of leading to constant ill health.

“However, my biggest problem is that nothing has changed over the years as every new government keeps on talking about what it has done with nothing on ground to support these claims. Something needs to be changed. We can’t continue like this. The government needs to come up with concrete ideas and feasible policies that will put an end to incessant power failure. Whoever is in charge needs to do something different,” he stressed.

Lead Consultant, 3Dimension Edibiz & Associates, Abuja, Akin Benjamin agrees that the power situation in Nigeria is as epileptic as ever.

According to him, “The same story of epileptic power supply is being told across all six geopolitical zones of the country, even Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory is almost becoming an oven. No thanks to the heat caused by the late arrival of rainfall coupled with near zero power supply. All one hears at night is the sound of the “I better pass my neighbour power generating set” blaring from houseto-house, emitting pollutants into the air everywhere.

“In areas like the Games Village, Gudu, Durumi, Lugbe and so on, power supply has become non-existent. We lose plenty man-hour at work, especially if the power generating set is also down. Even if there is power, it goes off at the slightest drop of rain as if we are putting out fire from firewood with water. So, the government should realise quickly that the solution to power problem is not rocket science, it could be simply tackled at the geo-political basis, local government basis or even through restructuring the country and letting the zones, states and local government areas be free to generate, store and distribute power to their residents. The case in which whatever is generated in Lagos must first be pushed into the national grid before distribution has paralysed such initiatives by the other levels of government. We must solve our problem or remain a powerless nation,” Benjamin advised.

Mrs. Lilian Eboli, an obviously angry businesswoman, who resides at Ilasa Road, Iyesi-otta, Ogun State is still wondering where the country is heading to with the persistent epileptic power supply.

“The electricity situation in my area is pathetic. We only have power supply between 1am and 5am and it is not even regular. This condition has caused many businesses to run at a loss and this does not stop IBEDC team from bringing the usual fixed electricity bill. It is simply too bad.”

“I was in Cotonou, Benin Republic and Lome, Togo three weeks ago. I spent three days there and I tell you, there was electricity throughout my stay there. Not for one minute was the light turned off. May the Lord deliver us from corrupt leaders, who have turned this country to what it is now,” said Eboli.

She said she and other residents of the area pay an average of N3, 000 to N4, 000 monthly for electricity, which is not served, but would not mind paying more if there would be constant power supply.

For Mr. Paul Amos, a resident of Iyana Cele, along the Lagos Abeokuta Expressway, the area only enjoys power supply for once within a period of five days. “But we have not had light in my area for over two weeks now and there is no information about what has gone wrong. Everyone in the neighbourhood is depending on generators as their source of power and yet the IBEDC keep bringing their outrageous bills for electricity that we do not enjoy. In a nutshell, electricity supply in my area is very annoying, irritating, vexatious, unpleasant and nothing to write about.”

Adewuyi Taiwo and his co-residents in the Ikeja area of Lagos State have not had up to 48 hours of electricity supply in two weeks

Also, Ayodele Alademehin who resides at Ikeja Military Cantonment noted that the area only has power supply for three hours daily. “Light comes up by 8pm and goes off by 11pm every day.”

Olurotimi Iluyomade, who lives at Akowonjo road, Egbeda, Lagos State considers himself lucky to have eight hours of power supply in his area daily. “Sometimes it’s even up to 11-13 hours. I can’t really say much about billing because I use prepaid metre, which I recharge about N2, 000 every month, and I have not paid any service charge on the meter since I started using it.” Olayinka, who resides in Ilaje Bariga regrets that the rate at which power supply is interrupted was unreasonably high.

“An average home gets electricity less than 8 hours in a week, with high rate of charges. The need for prepaid metres around Ilaje Bariga is therefore high. Right now, very few people have it, and exploitation and electricity theft is at its peak here. So, we need help; we need prepaid metres

At Oke Odan, Ishashi Community in

Ojo Local Council of Lagos State, it is “two days epileptic supply and two days off.” Recounting their plight, a resident, Edosa Aighobahi, said: “The bill is an estimated bill that is really crazy. Most times we pay N14, 000 monthly in a threebedroom apartment and parlor apartment, and one self-contained. Nobody uses Air condition or electric cooker. Neither do we have deep freezing system.”

A resident of Ijegun Road, Ikotun, Mr. Stephen said: “It is just some weeks back that we started having power supply for up to 15 to 20 hours a week. But sometimes we are without light for a week or more.

Three weeks ago, from Wednesday to Saturday there was no power supply. But since penultimate Sunday supply was restored and we now boast three to four hours supply per day now.”

For Mr. Falansa Abayomi, who resides around Captain Godo, at Iju Ishaga, there has not had power supply in the neighborhood for close to six months.

“The transformer got damaged and the EKEDC is insisting that the CDA must pay over N1m that the community owes it before anything can be done. This N1m debt is not true.” He lamented that the situation has rendered many businesses in the area useless as they eventually close down after running at a loss for sometime. “It’s been bad even for petty traders. I cannot cope anymore and have started making arrangements to leave the area.”

Interestingly, for Mrs. Jenifer Balogun, a resident of Akobo, Ibadan, power supply in the area has been commendable. “Though the duration of supply varies due to reasons best known to the distribution company. For instance we might have electricity from morning till 5pm or 6pm. It would go away, but restored later at about 9 or 12pm. Even though the power supply keeps fluctuating, I can say that we somehow enjoy power supply.”