News
Epileptic power: Obi weighs in, says 13,000mw for 200,000mw demands is unacceptable
…Nigeria has the lowest per capita wattage in the World
…wants a Technical Task Force in Place.
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi has expressed deep concerns over the perennial power situation in the country recording 141 times of national grid collapse in 11 years and calls for urgent pragmatic solutions.
Obi noted that Nigeria has only 13,000mw while the demands are about 200,000mw.
He said that even with the 13,000mw, only about 3,500mw are available for homes and businesses noting that the situation puts Nigeria as the lowest per capita wattage in the World.
In an article, titled “The Collapsing Electricity Sector”, the LP standard’s bearer said “The Nigeria electricity supply industry faces real and present danger of collapse despite the efforts made in more than two decades to initiate a reform of the NESI.
“It is sad today that we suffer periodic and routinized system collapses that are attributed to such avoidable situations as fire outbreaks at critical transmission lines across our major cities. It is absolutely distressing and a story of a low level of managerial capability that the entire nation can be plunged into total darkness for a reasonable period because networks go out because of a lack of diligent attention.
“It should worry any Nigerian patriot that the total installed capacity for a country of more than 200 million people with an aspiration to become a global medium economy power is a mere 13,000. Worse still, only about 3,500mws are available for homes and businesses from the grid. Sometimes, it grinds to less than 2,500mws. This is unacceptable.
“We can contrast the available supply of electricity with competitor countries in Africa like Egypt and South Africa with respective populations of approximately 112m and 59.6m people supplying about 60,000mw and 58,000 respectively. This difference in energy wattage has massive implications for human development and economic growth. Nigeria today has the world’s lowest per capita wattage in the world, interesting lower than those of most of our West African neighbours. It is really sad that whereas our energy demand is above 200,000mws, we have only 13,000mw installed capacity and can only deliver regularly less than 4,000mw.
“After speaking with experts in the sector I have realized that the crisis of power supply in Nigeria relates to two major sectors: (1) generation, and (2) transmission and distribution. The major challenges of the generation sector are the lack of a regular supply of gas arising from the failure of the government in the last 8 years to provide adequate gas infrastructure facilities, weak commerciality of gas to power and failure to control the restiveness of angry youths leading to vandalism.
“It is shameful that for more than 8 years we cannot resolve the infrastructural bottlenecks that constrain the supply of gas to power plants despite billions from CBN for legacy gas debts.
“On the transmission and distribution side, the last 8 years have witnessed terrible failure to overcome the deterioration of networks and transmission and distribution networks and invest in modern technologies like SCADA leading to poor coverage, lack of effective coordination between TCN and discos leading to load rejection and inability to generate public trust for policy reform on tariff and leading to low private sector investments.
“If we had a good project manager, we would have massively increased generation, transmission and distribution capacity and enhanced policy coherence that would have crowded private sector investment in the degree to sustained rapid growth of the grid. The problem is that the government have exercised the required political will to appoint the right kind of leadership that understands the problems of the sector and has the singular dedication and competence to create quick wins in the short term and transformation in the medium to long term.
“I suggest that the Federal Government immediately constitute a technical task force of real professionals without political consideration to present a diagnosis of the crisis of the sector and to get to work to correct such simple slippage like incessant fire outbreaks that lead to perennial system collapse, drastically improve coordination and coherence between TCN and discos so there will be no load rejection, and breath down on all operators to deliver on their technical responsibilities. This will rapidly improve power availability in the short term while the government develop clarity to articulate an integrated national electricity policy and a practical implementation roadmap that harmonizes national and sub-national electricity reform efforts to ensure rapid and expansive delivery of reliable, adequate, and affordable electricity.
“We are too endowed to be a nation of generators and to be trapped in darkness. We cannot grow our economy in darkness.
Signed.
Dr Yunusa Tanko
POMR Spokesman
The family of Abdalla Mwenda Suleiman, who was presumed dead, have been left in shock after he returned home to find a body believed to be his already buried. The incident, which occurred last Tuesday in Loire village near Mutuati market in Meru Country, has left many in disbelief.
Mwenda, a 20-year-old miraa picker, was mistakenly buried on October 4 after his family misidentified a body found in a house he once shared with his estranged wife in Mutuati market, as reported by the Nation.
“Since my work is picking miraa, I move from one place to another and I am rarely at home. I’m shocked to find that my family buried me,” said Mwenda in dismay.
Mwenda, who had separated from his wife and moved to Nthanbiro, 20 kilometers away, returned to discover his family had mistakenly buried him. Shocked, Mwenda explained his transient lifestyle as a miraa picker keeps him away from home.
Interestingly, a colleague mentioned they had passed by his home during the burial. The grave, located by Mutuati-Antubetwe Kiongo Road, is visible from the tarmac.
“We left Nthambiro in Igembe Central on Friday and travelled to another farm in Mutuati. We passed by Mwenda’s home and he wondered why there were so many people at his home but we proceeded.”
“On Sunday, as we were packaging miraa, someone broke the news that Mwenda had been buried yet he was alive. Mwenda was so shocked that he could not work. He went to sleep,” the colleague recounted.
After recovering from the shock, Mwenda went home to verify the bizarre news of his burial.
When the Nation visited on Tuesday, they found an atmosphere of grief and despair. The fresh grave, with an arrowroot plant thriving, drew locals who hoped the police had come to exhume the body.
Mwenda’s father, Meeme M’Nchebere, a resident of Voi, was found asleep after spending the night guarding the grave.
“We have been given strict instructions to ensure the body is not stolen. The police said the matter is sensitive since the deceased was murdered. I have to keep vigil throughout the night,” he said.
M’Nchebere revealed that his son had to flee the village because he couldn’t bear seeing a grave with his name. He admitted they mistakenly buried the wrong body because he was unable to view it before the burial.
“I live in Voi where I relocated more than 10 years ago. Mwenda was left behind in Meru. Recently, I received a call from neighbors who told me my son was dead. As a Muslim, I am not allowed to view a dead body. So we proceeded with the burial,” he recounted.
Mwenda’s father stated that the police informed him he needed to raise KSh 70,000 ($542) to cover the costs of obtaining a court order, a pathologist, and the exhumation of the wrongly buried body.
“I am a small trader in VOi and cannot raise the money the police want to exhume the body. I am currently surviving on well-wishes in the village. Neighbors are hesitant to help fundraise because they contributed to the botched burial,” he said.
M’Nchebere is now in a difficult situation, unable to return to his family in Voi or expedite the exhumation of the wrongly buried body. He faces the challenge of navigating both family tensions and legal hurdles.
Source: face2faceafrica.com
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the date for the Anambra governorship election.
Addressing representatives of political parties at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, October 17, INEC national chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu said the election will be held on Saturday 8th November 2025.
Hear him: “As you are aware, the last governorship election in Anambra State was held on 6th November 2021. By the effluxion of time, the governorship election is due next year.
In compliance with the mandatory requirement of 360 days, the formal notice for the election will be published on 13th November 2024. Party primaries will be held from 20th March 2025 to 10th April 2025.
“The candidate nomination portal will open at 9.00 am on 18th April 2025 and close at 6.00 pm on 12th May 2025. The final list of candidates will be published on 9th June 2025.
“Campaign in public by political parties will commence on 11th June 2025 and end at midnight of Thursday 6th November 2025. Voting will take place in all the 5,720 Polling Units across the State on Saturday 8th November 2025.
In compliance with the mandatory requirement of 360 days, the formal notice for the election will be published on 13th November 2024. Party primaries will be held from 20th March 2025 to 10th April 2025.
“The candidate nomination portal will open at 9.00 am on 18th April 2025 and close at 6.00 pm on 12th May 2025. The final list of candidates will be published on 9th June 2025.
“Campaign in public by political parties will commence on 11th June 2025 and end at midnight of Thursday 6th November 2025. Voting will take place in all the 5,720 Polling Units across the State on Saturday 8th November 2025.
The candidate nomination portal will open at 9.00 am on 18th April 2025 and close at 6.00 pm on 12th May 2025. The final list of candidates will be published on 9th June 2025.
“Campaign in public by political parties will commence on 11th June 2025 and end at midnight of Thursday 6th November 2025. Voting will take place in all the 5,720 Polling Units across the State on Saturday 8th November 2025.
“In the coming weeks, the Commission will provide details of other electoral activities, including the registration of new voters, transfer of voters and the replacement of lost or damaged PVCs.
“The detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2025 Anambra State Governorship election will be uploaded to our website and social media platforms before the end of this meeting.”
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