Re: PHCN staff banned from using generators at home

On February 3, 2009, Daily Trust featured a story with the above title. In the story, Engineer Bello A. Sulaiman, the executive vice chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), was said to have informed of the PHCN management’s directive banning all it’s workers from using electric generators at their residences. He said the decision is to remind the workers of their responsibilities.

According to the CEO as reported in the story, the decision … will ginger up the workers to face the battle of electricity outrage with passion, adding that “Let us feel the consequences first before any other customer. We owe it a duty not to have generators in our houses for cadres of staff. We believe this will remind us on our responsibilities anytime there is no light”.

The management of PHCN should be commended for such a laudable initiative. Our leaders at the federal, state and local government levels should be the first to adopt and implement this directive. The administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s decision to include the provision of stable and constant electricity supply in its 7-point agenda, though an admission of failure, is also commendable.

The necessity and relevance of power supply to the development of all sectors of human endeavor in our present times make it the starting point for nations to attain greatness. Specifically, lack of constant supply of electricity is major factors that have led to closure of many industries that had in the past provided employments to hundreds of thousands of Nigerians. Those in operation are finding it difficult to cope due to the high cost of running generators for their production. It also led to inflation as providers of services do add extra cost to consumers. The life of the Nigerian has been made miserable as they spent their nights in darkness.

Nigerians have been waiting for decades praying and hoping that someday, this country will attain the level of interrupted power supply as obtainable in other countries. It is sympathetic to note that some of our neighbouring countries do spent years without interruption in power supply. Governments do come and go promising to solve the electricity problem, but they have woefully failed in that sector. The present administration also promised to fix the electricity problem, but with almost two years in power Nigerians have not seen much improvement in the sector.

Perhaps one of the reasons that have made Nigerian leaders not to concentrate on solving the electricity problem is that they never stay in their offices and residences without electric generators, which run for almost 24 hours every day. The availability of the electric generators which provide them with constant light and the ability to use their electrical gadgets have made them to forget the rest of the Nigerian populace who are living in darkness.

It is high time Nigerian leaders felt the plight of the masses, which is the message contained in that directive given to PHCN workers. Leaders should live and lead by example. Leadership is all about sacrifice, so that in the end, the followers will have the basic necessities of life.

For President Yar’adua to be successful in fulfilling his campaign promises among which is the provision of constant electricity, he should as a matter of national urgency issue directive banning the use electric generators in his office, residence, guest houses and wherever he attends public functions. The same directive should be extended to all federal ministries, agencies and parastatals all over the country and the residences of all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, executive directors etc.

On the part of National Assembly, the Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives should also issue such directives against using electric generators within the assembly complex and residences of all Senators and Members of the House of Representatives.

At the state level, governors should issue directives of ban of using electric generators in their respective state houses and same applied to commissioners, lawmakers, chairmen, councilors and top government officials in the states.

The ban on the use of electric generators to be more effective in helping the government arriving within the shortest time possible solution to lack of constant electricity in Nigeria, the ban should be extended to, if possible, banks, airports, media houses, five star hotels and filling stations. May be it is because some of the important institutions in our day to day life also resort to the use of electric generators that the government also feel relaxed to finally find a lasting solution to electricity problem.

Among the reasons that made late Sheik Umaru Ta’ambu to be loved by the people of Kano was that though a very rich merchant, he has said in so many interviews that he never uses his electric generator because he was comfortable having electric power while his neighbours and masses in the locality cannot afford same. As a result, he preferred staying in the dark in solidarity with the masses.

If the government is really serious about provision of constant electricity to Nigerians, it should ban the importation of generators. All sorts of generator sets are being imported into our country, making Nigeria, arguably, the nation with the highest import of generating sets. Going round major streets all over the country will show that many shops sell generator sets. The government can send a strong signal to Nigerians that it is about to provide constant and stable electricity by banning the importation of generator sets.

With the present global economic recession threatening many countries of the world, banning the use of generator sets will make our government save a lot of money that can be used to provide qualitative education and equipped health centres. The amount of money spent by government to buy diesels and servicing runs into several millions of naira. The ban can also make government to make some money through selling off of all the generator sets used in government offices and residences of its officials.

May be Nigerians should adopt non usage of generators as a criteria to support candidates in future elections. This will show candidates the need to bring about a positive change in the power sector for the benefit of all.

Those in position of authority should seize the initiative by enforcing the ban on the use of electric generators. Like the PHCN staff, the ban will remind those at the helm of affairs of their responsibilities one of which is to provide constant and stable electricity supply to the people of Nigeria.


Shehu Mustapha Chaji

shehuchaji@yahoo.com