The Pathfinders' Movement Nigeria On The State Of The Nation And Power Sector Problem

We in The Pathfinders' Movement welcome our media compatriots and brothers to this press conference which has been specifically scheduled to address the State of the Nation and the problems of Power Sector particularly the recently announced proposed increment in Electricity tariff which is planned to take effect from second week of November, 2015.

It has been reliably gathered from media reports that the various electricity distribution companies under the aegis of DISCOs has decided to increase tariff charge on both residential and commercial power consumers. According to these reports, Several of this DISCOs appealed to NERC to allow them charge different level of percentages ranging from 56.53% to 25.02% depending on consumer class except Benin Disco which has reviewed her commercial tariff downward by 23.55% which is commendable.

Nigeria as a country needs over 16000 megawatts for uninterrupted power supply in contrast to the huge requirement of what is presently available. Nigeria presently generate 3267.1 Megawatts as at April, 2015 but today it has declined to 2777.3 Megawatts.

Moreso,We have equally witness in recent past the crisis that has befallen our economy, which are manifesting itself in a very big way, sharp drop in prices of crude oil which has further renewed the campaign for subsidy removal and the lies accompanying the subsidy regimes which has made our bourgeois economist to vigorously campaign for the devaluation of Naira which is in line with the imperialist agenda of making Nigeria a subservient economy. This proposed increment in electricity tariff will automatically increase the unemployed figure as micro business owners who cannot afford this harsh increment will have no choice than to fold-up their businesses thereby adding to the woes of the poor masses and collapse of entreprenuership particularly in the area of Small Scale Business.

Furthermore,Several investment made towards resituating the power sector has not yielded anything meaningful, rather the money has been siphoned by either the contractors or politician. It is noteworthy to mention that over 200billion invested into power sector by the inglorious corrupt regime of former President Obasanjo yielded nothing except mass misery and further decay of the sector.

It should also be recalled that the Minister of Power under former President Jonathan Lamented the technical and financial incapability of this private owners to turn power sector around and provide quality service to their consumers. Many of these Disco lacks capacity to deliver and also to increase capacity to deliver optimum service to consumers this thereby reinforce our position that only the government could properly control and manage public enterprises.

Privatization and deregulation policies of the government have undermined the 1999 constitution particularly section 16 sub-section 1 and 2 which profoundly enunciate the economic objectives of the Government,makes it mandatory that the commanding height of the economy shall not be in private hands. But today it is pathetic that our political leaders and their agents have sold all DISCOs among themselves and are determined to sell everything sellable unless the masses and the working people lead the oppressed to stop these elements.

In addition, The Pathfinders' Movement joins the voice of Several Nigerians to practically condemned the proposed increase in electricity tariff which we find very unjust, unethical, unpopular and inhumane to the already improverished masses who are yet to witness the workings of the mantra of change

OUR DEMANDS
We call on the government regulatory body and the management staff of these DISCOs to put a hold to any further increment in the tarriff charge of electricity consumption of Nigerians.

In the same vein, we call on the government to initiate concrete power generation policies in order to generate more megawatt so as to meet the current needs of the citizenry.

We also called for the immediate removal of the fraudulent 750 fixed charge with no practical explanation behind it. We see this charge as exploitative and inhumane and should be quickly abolished.

Despite the fact that there appear to be a slight improvement in power supply since the emergency of PMB, DISCOs should improve the services provided, as we have observed that some DISCOs provides epileptic power supply to their teeming consumers only to charge these customers with tariffs that are not inconsonance with the service provided. We have equally gathered that the DISCOs are only after profit and are less concerned with the problems and complains of their consumers.

We therefore call on the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission to look into this discrepancies in electricity billings and to also check-mate the rank insensitivity and the lackadaisical attitude of the members of staffs of these DISCOs to the complaints of their numerous customers.

For us in The Pathfinders' Movement, the change we want is the change that will unite the vast majority of our people under a government that will mobilize, organize and utilize the human resources of the working people and the oppressed poor to boost our productive capacity and will use our natural resources for sustainable economic and social advancement thereby reversing our economic dependency and restoring our dignity as an independent country.

Finally, we in The Pathfinders' Movement believe that until a change that will birth the ideal Nigeria of our dream where equality,justice and progress shall reign is achieved,we shall continue to inform and conscientize, till when we get that change shall we continue to analyze and consolidate.

GOD BLESS NIGERIA.
Signed
Adebiyi Saint Skempo
National Chairman
Oluwole Alaba Olalekan
General Secretary