Power project: Nigeria's 'Tower of Babel'

By Levi Obijiofor

Friday, April 10, 2009 

Every time you listen to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua or Vice President Goodluck Jonathan talk about an imminent end to the erratic supply of electricity across the country, you get four quick impressions. The first impression is that Yar'Adua and Jonathan do not understand what they are talking about. The second is that they have no idea about the magnitude of the problem. The third impression is that there is confusion at the top level of government caused by lack of a clearly articulated policy on the national shame which this habitual power outage has become.

The fourth impression, perhaps the most plausible, is that Yar'Adua and Jonathan have turned their rambling discourse on the power project into a deceptive political game. Forget the noise about the so-called power project. The power project represents a metaphor for the cash cow that has continued to feed a significant number of federal officials who are benefiting from the policy somersault at the top level of government.

Here is evidence to highlight the level of confusion that exists among Yar'Adua, Jonathan and top federal officials. Last weekend, Yar'Adua promised Nigerians during his visit to Ekiti State that there will be a considerable improvement in power generation and supply as from December 2009. Mark his words in your diary: "I want to assure you that by December there will be significant improvement in power generation and distribution in this country." Nigerians can expect this miracle to unfold in the next eight months. Is Yar'Adua's good news deadline feasible? Going by previous time limits which were never achieved, is there any reason why we should believe Yar'Adua now?

Twenty days earlier (March 16, 2009), Vice President Goodluck Jonathan had "promised" Nigerians that they would enjoy steady and sufficient electricity supply 15 months from that date. Jonathan spoke when he toured the sites of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) in his capacity as the chairperson of the presidential steering council of the NIPP. No one should be confused by the inconsistency in the dates which Yar'Adua and Jonathan have promised Nigerians to expect regular electricity. Contradictions in official statements from the Presidency are the trademarks of the Yar'Adua government.

The vice president's promise was particularly interesting because it was premised with the words "by the Grace of God". He said: "By the grace of God, we will get it (i.e. steady electricity) under 15 months". So, we can count on receiving regular electricity only if and when God intervenes. This kind of promise bears the hallmarks of the words of a trickster. It is a slippery concept. If suddenly we begin to experience an end to power outage, Jonathan would claim that it was an act of God. If, however, we continue to live in the dark after the expiry of his 15-month deadline, he would also claim that it was an act of God.

A laughable element was introduced into the discussion when Jonathan said the government was committed to accomplishing the Vision 2020 objective of transforming Nigeria into one of the top 20 global economies. How this goal would be achieved is unclear, in light of the paucity of basic infrastructure in the country. Ironically, while Jonathan was talking up Nigeria's bogus image in the international arena, Yar'Adua was weeping over the exclusion of Nigeria from the recent G-20 summit in London, a meeting of leaders of the 20 leading economies in the world.

Yar'Adua acknowledged that Nigeria's absence at the London summit was a huge embarrassment by all counts. In his words, something must be wrong "when 20 leaders of the leading countries in the world are meeting and Nigeria is not there. This is something we need to reflect upon. We have the population, we have the potentials, we have the ability and the capacity and we have the will. What do we lack? Is it the will?"

Well, let me help Yar'Adua to answer his odd question in a candid manner. His query about what led the international community to exclude Nigeria from the G-20 summit suggests quite clearly that Yar'Adua doesn't even understand the nature and scope of our problems. How can Yar'Adua provide exemplary leadership if he doesn't have a clue about the economic, social and political problems that plague our country?

Consider this. On Monday, 16 March 2009, the House of Representatives washed its hands off the national scandal over constant power outage when the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, advised Nigerians to hold the Yar'Adua government accountable for the deteriorating electricity situation. According to Bankole: "We can't take responsibility for the power situation as it is today. The onus of providing steady power supply for the people of this country lies within the framework of the executive... N67bn was provided in 2008 to boost power supply. If the executive fails to deliver on its promises, you hold them responsible."

The federal government has invested so many billions of naira into this elusive power project and yet the project has not produced any significant outcomes. Surely, Nigerians have the moral obligation to hold the Yar'Adua government to account. The government cannot continue to pump public funds into the power project while the public gets nothing in return. In the 21st century, no modern society can attain socioeconomic development goals if public and private businesses, including institutions that provide basic services, are deprived of reliable supply of electricity.

Apart from the mind-blowing amount budgeted by the federal government in 2008 to improve power supply, we must keep in mind that regular electricity supply remains one of the pillars of Yar'Adua's so-called 'Seven-Point Agenda'.

Incidentally, one week after the Speaker of the House of Representatives made the astonishing revelation, further evidence of the cacophony of official views on the power project emerged when the boss of the National Energy Commission, Abubakar Sani Sambo, said that a stupendous amount of ten trillion naira (N10tn) would be required for investment in the power project before the nation could expect to receive stable supply of electricity.

There must be an end to Yar'Adua's farcical power project. That power project has turned into a biblical 'Tower of Babel' in Nigeria. Metaphorically, it signifies official confusion over how to handle the national electricity problem. For those who do not know, Babel, according to an encyclopedia, is the "Hebrew equivalent of Akkadian Babilu (Greek Babylon), a cosmopolitan city typified by a confusion of languages."

There are a number of reasons why we must be worried about the worsening situation in the power sector. Regular supply of electricity is key to national economic development. Part of the reasons why foreign and local investors have refused to invest in Nigeria is because they don't want to set up businesses in a country where their investments will be crippled by electricity problems.

How can we expect meaningful progress in science and technology development in the absence of regular power supply? How can we expect improvements in the quality of teaching and research in universities and polytechnics when electricity, the engine that powers experiments in laboratories, is constantly disrupted? How can we expect public hospitals to save lives or sustain the lives of those on life-support systems when power outage is the norm? Electricity is the oxygen that sustains lives in hospitals and many important businesses in the country. For every moment the nation is submerged in darkness owing to power outage, we lose precious lives and millions of naira worth of businesses.

If only weeping would solve our problems, we could weep for Nigeria. Nevertheless, we must weep for the poor quality of political leadership in the country. We must weep for operating an electoral system that privileges fraudulent politicians over honest, bright and politically astute men and women. We must weep for living in a country where a few political leaders misappropriate oil revenue while the people in the oil producing communities live miserable lives. We must weep for a political system that continues to produce mediocre politicians who have no idea about how to govern.

The proliferation of electric generators in private homes and business premises in Nigeria is indicative of a sick and dying society. Every week, people are admitted into hospitals because they inhaled toxic fumes from electric generators either at home or in their workplaces. The less fortunate ones don't live to tell their stories.

Robot  # 1 | 10.04.2009 01:53

Power project: Nigeria's 'Tower of Babel' By Levi Obijiofor Friday, April 10, 2009 Every time you listen to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua or Vice President Goodluck Jonathan talk about an imminent end to the erratic supply of electricity across the country, you get four quick impressions. The first impression is that Yar'Adua and Jonathan do not understand what they are talking about. The second is that they have no idea about the magnitude of the problem. The third impression is that there is confusion at the top level of government caused by lack of a clearly articulated policy on the national shame which this habitual power outage has become. The fourth impression, perhaps the most plausible, is that Yar'Adua and Jonathan have turned their rambling discourse on the power project into a deceptive political game. Forget the noise about the so-called power project. The power project represents a metaphor for the cash cow that has continued to ...Read the full article.

ocnus  # 2 | 10.04.2009 11:52

Indeed, the whole Nigerian power supply industry is a cruel joke. It is not only grossly inefficient but, because of its inefficiency, the vast reserves of gas which are being flared off into the environment are wasted. Nigeria loses twice. To be fair though this is not only a problem of the elites. A few years ago we had a contract for the rural electrification of sixty towns in the North. We were mobilised and started to erect concrete poles and to string copper cables. Every day we stretched copper cable on these rural poles and every day we lost at least 75% of te copper wire which was stolen. We kept trying but the local people saw a greater immediate benefit in stealing our copper wire than waiting for electricity. Eventually we gave up. These towns still don't have electricity. It is a problem of leadership but petty theft also plays a role.

gwobezentashi  # 3 | 10.04.2009 12:08

=ocnus;344954>Indeed, the whole Nigerian power supply industry is a cruel joke. It is not only grossly inefficient but, because of its inefficiency, the vast reserves of gas which are being flared off into the environment are wasted. Nigeria loses twice. To be fair though this is not only a problem of the elites. A few years ago we had a contract for the rural electrification of sixty towns in the North. We were mobilised and started to erect concrete poles and to string copper cables. Every day we stretched copper cable on these rural poles and every day we lost at least 75% of te copper wire which was stolen. We kept trying but the local people saw a greater immediate benefit in stealing our copper wire than waiting for electricity. Eventually we gave up. These towns still don't have electricity. It is a problem of leadership but petty theft also plays a role. Mallam Ocnus. Greetings! I am intrigued at how you reached the conclusion that it was the local people who were stealing your cables. Further, having noticed the theft, what did you do to prevent further stealing before eventually giving up? Copper wire for sixty towns sounds like a lot. I wouldn't call that petty theft. Sounds more like grand larceny. Please tell us more. Aluta! Gwobezentashi

mathelize  # 4 | 10.04.2009 14:53

=gwobezentashi;344960>Mallam Ocnus. Greetings! I am intrigued at how you reached the conclusion that it was the local people who were stealing your cables. Further, having noticed the theft, what did you do to prevent further stealing before eventually giving up? Copper wire for sixty towns sounds like a lot. I wouldn't call that petty theft. Sounds more like grand larceny. lol, good reasoning, it could be the work of those who put the cables there in the first place.

ocnus  # 5 | 10.04.2009 15:30

Those are very good questions. The manager at the site reported the losses to the police and asked for people to guard the installations. I was only at the site(s) for two days. According to the manager the police reported that the 'local people' were taking the cable. However that was a lot of cable and they would have needed some equipment to do so. It may have been the police who were the 'local people'; I don't really know. We had to report to the Ministry of the problems and the report filed said, "local people". Whatever the case, there is no electricity.

ozoodoo  # 6 | 10.04.2009 15:51

@ocnus, If you had carried the local people along, perhaps through their local chief, the local people would have been your eyes and ears while the project last. Our ordinary people may be poor but they are substantially honest and of course not daft. They would have cherished the prospect of having electricity in their area. You may not have had sufficient knowledge of your project partners.

ocnus  # 7 | 11.04.2009 01:49

We, oyinbo, never had any contact with the local chiefs or citizens. All that was handled by our Nigerian partners. We knew our Nigerian partners well; indeed you all know them (Senators and generals) too. Thy kept us away from any local contacts. The same thing happened on a large borehole project that never got built. I used to go to sleep thinking I understood how the Nigerian business-political system worked, only to wake up to find how naive I really was. The people I worked with were amazingly clever. We were building two POL depots (oil storage) for the military in Kaduna and Jos. They needed two cranes for setting the tanks and pipes. We sent down two state-of-the art cranes (P&H) with a 65 foot booms. They arrived in Apapa and were taken to the sites. After a month the Managing Director called me and asked "What kind of cranes did you send?" I told him they were very good cranes and asked why he was concerned. He said that the cranes were taken to the sites and broke down after two weeks. They had to be sent for expensive repairs. Moreover the sites had to hire cranes to use as substitutes while the repairs were going on. A week or so later I flew to Kaduna and went to the site. I looked at the crane at work and asked what was wrong with it. The site manager said that his crane was being repaired and this was the hired crane. I said "Bullshit! That is the crane I sent". On investigation the site engineers had told the manager that the cranes were not working. They sent the cranes away for repair. However, they did no such thing. They sent the crane from Jos to Kaduna and the crane from Kaduna to Jos. They charged big money for notional repairs and big money for rental. At the end of the project they would swap them back. Only I, who knew both cranes, would realize this. One day I shall write a book about my naivete in the face of Nigerian entrepreneurship.

iamgod  # 8 | 11.04.2009 06:58

=ocnus;345126>We, oyinbo, never had any contact with the local chiefs or citizens. All that was handled by our Nigerian partners. We knew our Nigerian partners well; indeed you all know them (Senators and generals) too. Thy kept us away from any local contacts. The same thing happened on a large borehole project that never got built. I used to go to sleep thinking I understood how the Nigerian business-political system worked, only to wake up to find how naive I really was. The people I worked with were amazingly clever. We were building two POL depots (oil storage) for the military in Kaduna and Jos. They needed two cranes for setting the tanks and pipes. We sent down two state-of-the art cranes (P&H) with a 65 foot booms. They arrived in Apapa and were taken to the sites. After a month the Managing Director called me and asked "What kind of cranes did you send?" I told him they were very good cranes and asked why he was concerned. He said that the cranes were taken to the sites and broke down after two weeks. They had to be sent for expensive repairs. Moreover the sites had to hire cranes to use as substitutes while the repairs were going on. A week or so later I flew to Kaduna and went to the site. I looked at the crane at work and asked what was wrong with it. The site manager said that his crane was being repaired and this was the hired crane. I said "Bullshit! That is the crane I sent". On investigation the site engineers had told the manager that the cranes were not working. They sent the cranes away for repair. However, they did no such thing. They sent the crane from Jos to Kaduna and the crane from Kaduna to Jos. They charged big money for notional repairs and big money for rental. At the end of the project they would swap them back. Only I, who knew both cranes, would realize this. One day I shall write a book about my naivete in the face of Nigerian entrepreneurship. Never underestimate our scam nature