Daniel Bankole Afilaka- NYL President

A Nigerian Youth League Publication

What does it feel like to live in a state of perpetual darkness? It must be the same fate suffered by the blind man seeking the light. Groping inextricably in his environment and seeking physical pointers to understand his surroundings. It is the pursuit of the tangible in a world of blackouts. We have been subjugated to this ridiculous 30 year old melodrama and it further proves the incompetence of the charlatanic governments we have had to endure as a nation. Why are we here? What are the real effects of the blackouts and why does it appear to be the bane of our existence. Once upon a time we were referred to as a proud country with open sewers! However at this point in our history we are nothing but a timid country without power supply, period. I am currently in Naija and wonder how it would have felt whilst delivering my Nigerian rhetoric in England, when confronted with the facts that my beloved country has naught to offer regarding electricity! Any country that is still suffering from power outages in this millennium is reducing its own chances of competing effectively in the new global marketplace. Power must be restored for us to move forward. It must be considered a matter of National security and sovereignty and must be dealt with as though it could affect the stability of the fatherland. In effect this is a text that calls for drastic measures to solve a drastic issue. Anybody that is found culpable in the power probes must be considered a felon with treasonable intent and be dealt with as such. Furthermore any company found wanton in its deliverables regarding the $16 billion power debacle must be considered a saboteur to the growth and development of the fatherland!

We know from experience that Nigeria as an entity has suffered from numerous failed projects that have either failed to deliver their project objectives or has run out of time hereby making the initial business case for the project irrelevant given the prevailing circumstances. This situation has been existent for over 30 years and has only gotten worse. It begs the attention of the populace to ask who benefits from the darkness in Nigeria? Once you follow the money you will find that the culprits are lurking somewhere in the darkness that they’ve single handedly created. We know from experience that the Nigerian literati are intellectually endowed peoples and will never be fooled into embarking on a non viable project. This is our 30 year old project and I dare say that this is not a project failure but a disaster with high impacting effects on the economy, populace and the socio political landscape of the federation. When we were growing up we were used to the incessant chant of “Up NEPA” but now I realize that those were the good old days. Nowadays Nigerians are not even given the opportunity to show their sarcasm to the state controlled Power sector since it has been privatized. Maybe our best position now would be to scream Down PHCN with religious fervor. We were under the impression that PHCN would bring us the long awaited electricity required to power the economy however we are now beginning to realize the folly of the privatization of NEPA a key national infrastructure.

Diesel, diesel, diesel is all I hear in Nigeria. Might there be a conspiracy between the Diesel merchants and the numerous generator makers to keep us eternally locked in their costly embrace. These are some of the ponderings that worries my being every time I hear another generator noise from the serenity of my bedroom. Nigeria might as well be referred to as “Mikano country” as this generator manufacturer appears to be making a killing due to our non existent power grid. The Diesel merchants are also cleaning out right this second as they are making gazillions per litter in comparison to the stable cost of production of Diesel on the global market. The only noise I fail to hear are those of the people dieing due to the unstable and polluted air they are subjected to in this god forsaken land. They have no electricity supply neither can they afford generators, yet are being killed in a genocidal fashion thanks to the high level of pollution caused by the effervescent nature of fumes generated by burning fossil fuels. There has been a steady rural to urban migration since the eighties in Nigeria yet they do not see that they are been ushered to their deaths with the hope of economic emancipation. The amount of fumes generated in Lagos alone is enough to kill off the whole population of Ilesha Osun state if given in one fatal deployment. Should we not change the argument for the immediate resolution of the power situation in the country to one of systemic mass murder of an unassuming populace by the responsible stakeholders?

Whilst other oil producing countries are using their oil revenues to develop critical infrastructure for their country to rely upon, Nigeria the 5^th largest producer of Crude is still suffering from an epileptic if not intransigent power supply issue. I was in Tripoli Libya and realized that during my stay in this desert land I did not experience any form of power shortage. Albeit that I felt like a target in an authoritarian regime thanks to the imposing pictures of Mohammar Gadaffi staring me down from every corner. The democrat in me asked the question that would I sacrifice the democracy in my country for a stable power supply that guarantees the consistency of the business climate to deliver its potential as the backbone of the economy. Since we have accepted that democracy is the only way forward then maybe it is time that the President moves his focus away from the rule of law to the entrenchment of a power supply initiative that will be immediately felt by the populace at large. With the current situation in the global market place, Crude oil is now the most essential commodity and the “Nigerian ruling elite” has to appreciate that the market is in its favor at the moment and use this as a last ditch attempt at salvaging what is left of our power grid. Give Nigerians power and basic amenities and we will thrive as a nation.  Use the revenue from Crude to build up an alternative power supply initiative that will be state controlled in partnership with the private sector and will compete with PHCN. In this sense we will see the eventual hyper competition in the power sector create a well spring of flowing electricity for the populace. It is a disgrace that the same words I used to hear as a child is still prevalent even in my adulthood! No light, no light, and no light!!

Forget the rhetoric and let’s focus on the issue at hand. Without constant power supply the Small and medium scale enterprises will run at a higher cost margin and the cheap cost of labor in Nigeria will be evened out due to the expenditure on diesel as an alternative. This means in effect that the backbone of the economy is already stunted and any expected resurgence of the Nigerian economy should be put on the back burner. The productivity of the country is affected and the manufacturing segment of our economy would rather outsource to the Indo- China giants than use the inconsistent supplies of the power hungry manufacturing sector in Nigeria. Inadvertently we are slaves in our own land as the dream of self sufficiency will never be attained if the status quo is not immediately reversed. Let’s presume that the OBJ administration paid our debts and has given us a lifeline on the global economic stage, we hope that the Yar’adua administration will endeavor to bring enlightenment i.e. electric power supply to the lives of the Nigerian populace and hence live a lasting legacy of power to the people. The current administration is been criticized as a slow moving train when all Nigerians want is a fast moving juggernaut that bypasses all bureaucratic norms to achieve a defined objective. The next objective is power supply, the strategy must be alternative power generation initiatives and the mode must be through a state controlled PPP where the power ministry is given presidential imperative to deliver power at all cost within a stipulated amount of time. This is the only way forward and any other methods would be regressive to our economic development.

Today is democracy day in Nigeria being the 29^th of May 2008; I look in sheer bewilderment at the polity using the power situation as a yardstick in measuring the growth of our beloved country in the last 4 decades. It is dismal in its weaknesses; our country is but a paling shadow of discontent by the populace, fuelled by the avarice of the elite, incompetence of the ministries, glitterati of the literati and most importantly lack of control by the government in ensuring that Nigeria moves in a definitive direction. It is quite sad that all this is what we see in the power situation in the country. It is very easy to sit pretty in our lofty apartments feeling the air conditioner blowing away our stresses whilst the average Nigerian hasn’t experienced any electric supply for days on end. The bigger picture however paints a harrowing Picasso of a wicked abstraction for the future. Think of the power situation like “ Guernica” that ugly painting by Picasso where all the parts of the collage are scattered in a disjointed manner all through the canvass. The cows head is in its stomach and the girls feet are on her head in the painting. This shows us what the power sector looks like in Nigeria and this is to the detriment of all and sundry except of course those that are capitalizing on this debacle as a business opportunity.

Our strength as a country lies in the resolve of the upcoming generation to change permanently all the woes we have grown accustomed to from childhood. It is to revive the pride of the fatherland and aspire for the true heights of success as a nation. It is to remain resolute in the face of adversity and ensure that we take stock of the failings of our parents in their final hours because ours is a generation that is yet to be seen, and eagerly awaited to usher in the real ideals of a greater Nigeria. Power is a first step and must not be the last as we talk the talk and walk the walk in the murky waters of the Nigerian power outage.

The opinions in this write up do not constitute the official line of the organization but the opinion of the writer. If there are any queries regarding the article please send an email to Daniel@nigerianyouthleague.org and he will answer you promptly.

Robot  # 1 | 24.06.2008 13:17

Daniel Bankole Afilaka- NYL President A Nigerian Youth League P...Read the full article.

cegbune  # 2 | 24.06.2008 19:46

When the Ijaws joined other Nigerians including southerners in the northern quest to impose the northern hegemony over Nigeria by at least attempting to annihilate their formidable opponents i.e. the Igbo, little did they know that their day would come. Although the indomitable Igbo could not be wiped-out, the consipracy to eliminate them only succeeded in emasculating them. Unfortunately for other southerners, the whole south became war booty after Ndi Igbo were "cut to size." 38 years after the end of the civil war, the skirmishes to corner the booty by the north have continued unabated. The annulment of Abiola's election was part of these skirmishes. Obj was only given a chance because he could be trusted by the oligarchy to accept crumbs from the "booty table." There is a gentleman's agreement to rotate the presidency between north and south. However, I won't be surprised if after Yar Adua's term, a nothern renede military officer takes over government to preclude an untrusted southerner from ruling Nigeria. I remember Obasanjo telling Ijaws that if he had not fought the Igbo, they would have taken over their oil. Meanwhile, Obj ordered the "gwodogwodo" to eradicate an Ijaw town from the face of the earth to preserve the status quo, yet the Ijaws sat on the side walk and applauded Obj's misquided statement about the Igbo. If the Igbo are the Ijaw's problem how come 38 years after the Igbo left them to their own whims and caprices, they are yet to find their bearings? Having made the above statements, it is pertinent to mention that it would be naive for the Igbo to ignore the impact of the skirmishes in their neighborhood. Whether the Ijaw like it or not, they are under the sphere of influence of Ndi Igbo and as a result the Igbo must not allow them to be roasted by the oligarchy. Ndi Igbo must rise above the lowest instinct of the Ijaw during the civil war and prevent the impending cataclysm in the Niger Delta. The convenient thing for the Igbo to do is to say to the Ijaw: serves you right! However, the right thing to do is to warn the oligarchy that Igbo will not sit and watch the torture of their young Ijaw brothers.

10Kobo  # 3 | 24.06.2008 19:48

Daniel, l feel you, l feel your pain because they are the same pains of every patriotic citizen of this country. I have given enough stupid excuses for "those in-charge" of this nation but my hope was highly raised, realizing that a University graduate, a scientist, a chemist and a lecturer for that matter, is "now in-charge" of the nation and since he neither wrote his graduation exams using candles nor did he perform his Lab titrations and Electrolysis, using firewood, he is DEFINITELY AWARE of the sh*t we got ourselves into! @cegbune... l thought this article was about power outage and its effects on Nigerians or are we reading from different pages? So you want to curry the ijaw people now that you think they are vulnerable? But do you really think they would fall for that line without doing a diligent assessment of their S.W.O.T? Until we all, collectively, rise up against bad leadership and corrupt individuals in our midst, whether Hausa, Yarouba, Igbo, Ijaw, or Ibibio, we will just be another weakling tribalist that cuts-off his nose to spite his face. The injustice in the N.D is an affront to all justice seeking Nigerian, the fight belongs to all Nigerians, not just the Ijaws alone! ......but thats for another thread sha 10Kobo

philipikita  # 4 | 24.06.2008 20:14

A retired senior citizen who set up a prominent national agency in the 1970s, recently turned 70. The poor man was definitely not the stealing type, so in this age of darkness, what would the agency give their founding "oga" as gift on his 70th birthday? A GENERATOR!

10Kobo  # 5 | 26.06.2008 17:28

=philipikita;4295060250>A retired senior citizen who set up a prominent national agency in the 1970s, recently turned 70. The poor man was definitely not the stealing type, so in this age of darkness, what would the agency give their founding "oga" as gift on his 70th birthday? A GENERATOR! Dis one definitely pass me O! To even hear that "NEPA" office uses Generator! What right do we ordinary citizens have, to demand for stable electricity, or even an unstable one for that matter? Na waa O :mad: 10Kobo

thekingsjester  # 6 | 26.06.2008 17:33

=10Kobo;4295061352> ...To even hear that "NEPA" office uses Generator! What right do we ordinary citizens have, to demand for stable electricity, or even an unstable one for that matter? Na waa O :mad: 10Kobo LOL! I couldn't help but... :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Dapxin  # 7 | 26.06.2008 17:53

=10Kobo;4295061352>Dis one definitely pass me O! To even hear that "NEPA" office uses Generator! What right do we ordinary citizens have, to demand for stable electricity, or even an unstable one for that matter? Na waa O :mad: 10Kobo It sends chills of hopelesness through your spine. trust me. I had wanted to pay a bill i think 2003 - and they told me I had to wait until they refuel the generator.....you just have to feel sorry for the indignant manner these guys go about saying it, as if the irony is lost on them....