By Taiwo Olapade.
Nigerians went to bed last night without electricity supply as the National Grid suffered another collapse.
For the records, this is the sixth time the National Grid had suffered collapse in the last one year throwing the entire nation into avoidable and unnecesssry darkness.
This is coming at a time when concerned communities in most parts of the country recently embarked on peaceful protests over being migrated to Band A without their consent and against their wish.
Although, various Electricity Distribution companies in their reactions to the protests claimed that the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC was responsible for the migration based on at least 20 hours power supply daily to the affected consumers.
Many Nigerians in a chat with thenewsnow, an online platform were also of the view that the Minister for Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu should rather pay utmost attention to the metering of households and businesses without meter to end the era of crazy Bills that is likened to fraudulently taken money from innocent and vulnerable Nigerians.
According to some Economic and Financial Experts, lot of businesses struggling to survive due to the current economic realities, face more daunting challenges going by the recent increase in the pump price of fuel that is now above N1000 per litre.
The reality confronting us is that fuel or petrol as the case may be is not an easy option to power homes and energise businesses as long as we want due to the high cost implication.
Must the Minister for Power be held liable and made to pay compensation to Nigerians for denying them the inalienable rights to constant electricity supply especially when they now pay through their nose and why is it that the recurring collapse of the National Grid had defied all solutions?
It is indeed Double Jeopardy for us as a country at the moment.
Some Nigerians are also asking the question whether neighboring countries like Niger Republic, Togo and Benin Republic that derives their power supply from Nigeria suffers the same fate with us whenever the National Grid is down?
According to the regulatory commission, the portion of power supply to these countries must not exceed six per cent of total grid electricity at any point in time.
Investigations revealed that most 500 KVA transformers that connect power supply to homes are as old as 30 years and long overdue for replacement.
Minister Adelabu, Nigerians are demanding that you wake up to your responsibility and devote more time to improving the lives of the people and less of implementing anti people policies that impose more sufferings, hardships to the already poverty ravaged Nigerians.
Taiwo Olapade, Broadcast Journalist writes from Lagos.
