The Deputy National Organising Secretary of All Progressives Congress, Chidi Duru, on Tuesday, appealed to the Federal Government to review the concession agreement with electricity providers in the country over what he termed their ‘monumental failure.’
Duru said the fact that Nigerians still buy their transformers, cables, poles and other electrical materials from the service providers is enough proof that the providers have not lived up to their expectations.
The APC chieftain made the call at a press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday.
His concern comes in the wake of criticism by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, that Nigerians keep their freezers and air conditioners on even when they are not at home.
Adelabu, who has since come under heavy croticism for his statement, insisted at a media parley last Thursday that the people lack power consumption management culture due to its affordability.
Reacting to the recent hike through segmentation of consumers in bands, Duru told newsmen that the inability of the service providers to improve their services in the past 15 years was a clear reflection of their continued exploitation of Nigerians.
When asked if he is demanding that the government review its concession plan, Duru retorted that it is the only way forward as Nigerians are running out of patience.
He said, “Of course, it has come to that. If they look at the terms of the contract signed with the operators and if there is sufficient reason, the government should take over the agencies, DisCo and GenCo. It should be because none of them has delivered on the duties imposed on that contract.
“Otherwise, why is it that Nigerians are still buying their transformers, and cables, providing electricity for themselves, still generating power through other sources and still consuming diesel at inappropriate levels?
“Those selling generators are selling more than before and the volume of kilowatts of power available in the country continued to hover around 2,000 to 6,000 and never go beyond that. Was that not a reflection that there is not enough investment in that industry and a reflection that those operators don’t understand the business?
“If the regulators, like the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, are doing their work, they would have brought to book the operators in the power sectors segment, particularly the value chain, and not them continuing to impose an obligation on citizens for no faults of theirs other than the inappropriate concession of a very significant part of the economy, which is the power sector in Nigeria.
“It was sold to people with little or no experience. Our national patrimony was handed over to them and rather than invest in the sector, they saw the sector as an avenue to make money and to undermine the country and citizens of Nigeria. This incessant increase in tariff will continue ad-infinitum if nothing is done to ensure that these people are brought to account for what needs to be done.”
