ROTIMI Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming Saturday governorship election has defended the hike in tuition fees of tertiary schools in the state.
Akeredeolu defended the hike in fees for tertiary institutions in the state on Wednesday during the gubernatorial debate between him and Eyitayo Jegede candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), held in Akure, the state capital.
He stated that the increase was a necessary move to improve education in the state.
“This State has no business having three universities at the same time. If you are allowing N25,000, when we had two universities but when you now have three universities then it is a whole lot of responsibilities,” Akeredolu said.
The debate organised by Channels Television, in partnership with the Civil Society Elections Situation Room, UK AID with support from UK foreign commonwealth development office was anchored by Seun Okinbaloye.
“And I believe quite strongly for that matter that we are biting more than we can chew. If the students can come up with any fee of any state university in the Southwest that is lower than ours we will comply by reducing the current fees.”
“For now I don’t see any problem with that for me, the students are happy and are ready to pay,” said Akeredolu who was responding to the condemnation of the hike in tuition fee by his opponent, Jegede.
On assumption of office in 2017, Akeredeolu had carried out an upward review of the tuition fees of the state-owned tertiary institutions from between N25, 000 and N30, 000 to N120,000 and N180,000 respectively for state-owned tertiary institutions.
A protest was organised by the students of the affected institutions to show their displeasure but the State Government insisted that the economic reality necessitated the increment in the fees.
Eyitayo Jegede, who came in late for the debate when given the chance to speak on his educational plans for the state if elected had said that the State Government had no business increasing tuition fees.
“There should be no basis for the value of education if we say that, unless you find a state in the Southwest that is charging a lesser tuition fee, you cannot bring down tuition fees in the state.
“Some governments have given us free education in the Southwest of this country and we have benefited from it. It is because they had to prioritise one thing that should apply as the greatest benefit for the greatest masses of the people,” he said.
He stated that if elected his government will be known for bringing fresh ideas to the educational space in Ondo State.
“This is too much for the people and I will fix it if elected. I will bring new ideas and fresh ideas to improve things in Ondo state,” he said.
ROTIMI Akeredolu, the Ondo State Governor and candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election, on Wednesday night defended his wife, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu for her active participation in his government.
The Governor responded to questions on a live television debate that his family members are allegedly living large on the state’s resources.
Akeredolu described the contention as blackmail, stressing that contrary to the popular belief, he manages the state’s resources ‘the best way,’ he can.
He boasted that his achievements could speak for themselves.
“When it comes to the issue of accusation, blackmail that my family is running the state government, what this state should be proud of, and what this state has today is the election of one and they have two – they have two for the price of one,” he stated.
“So, when you have an intelligent first lady, there is no way she will not chart her own course,” he stated.
“I pray that you all should have children who can be of help to you. I am happy I have a son who is helping me, that is what parents are desiring from their children,” he stated.
“My wife brought Brecan before I became governor. She has her office here and she has been helping women and touching lives even before I became governor of the state.
“Let anyone who has any evidence that my son collected consultancy fees produce the evidence. Let anybody come out with the evidence that my son is a consultant, instead of making baseless allegations.”
His admission of involving family members in government has however remained a subject of public debate.
Beyond the allegations, he spoke on his plan to improve the state’s revenue, diversify into agriculture and the non-oil sector.
He also disclosed plans to boost the health sector in the state and strengthen the Amotekun Corps.
On his part, Jegede disclosed plans to ensure a private-sector-led economy if elected to power.
He unfolded plans in the area of oil and gas, education and the identified need to reform the Federal Special Anti-Robbery (FSARS), particularly to prevent human rights violations.
AGBOOLA Ajayi, the flagbearer of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), is once again absent from the debate organized for governorship candidates in Ondo election slated for Saturday.
The debate was organized by Channels Television in partnership with the Civil Society Elections Situation Room and UK AID with support from UK Foreign Commonwealth Development office.
Ajayi who is currently the deputy governor of the state was also absent in a previous debate organised by media organisations, labour unions, civil societies, religious bodies and other critical stakeholders in the state on Saturday 4th October 2020.
Meanwhile, Rotimi Akeredolu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent governor, has said the state needs a composed and focused leadership.
“All the time, I have always believed that Ondo State is blessed. We have everything, yet we needed a composed and focused leadership,” he said.
“With all respect without praising or trying to pick me and say I am the best. With all respect, I believe that we have learned in this direction.”
Speaking on the economy, the governor revealed plans by his administration to improve on the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state which is currently N2 billion, according to him.
National Bureau of Statistics estimated 2019 Ondo IGR at N30 billion.
If re-elected, Akeredolu said he would turn around the economic fortunes of the state and also expand the cocoa plantations in the state.
As the people of the state go to the polls to choose the next governor for another four-year term, Akeredolu will slug it out with his main rival, Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 15 other contenders.
Eyitayo Jegede, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, said it is time for a more holistic, honest and practical governance in the state.
He said his private and public sector experience makes him stand out among all other candidates.
The PDP candidate said his focus would be on growing the state’s economy and confront the challenges in the health sector.
According to him, the health facilities in Ondo State are not in good shape, and the high-cost of medicare is putting a strain on the lives of the people especially pregnant women and children.
Jegede who was a former commissioner for justice and attorney general in the state said he is pained also by the challenges facing the students in various tertiary institutions, promising to review the high cost of tuition which now tends to deprive many young people of getting tertiary education.
THE Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) has urged the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, to jail corrupt government officials who steal from people with disabilities.
The association made this call Wednesday when its Public Relations Officer, Obinna Ekujereonye featured on a radio program, Public Conscience produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG.
“I‘m advocating for a jail term and I know a lot of people are advocating for it. if you leave these corrupt officials to go the way they are going, I tell you, the corruption will keep increasing by the day,” said Ekujereonye.
Speaking on an investigative report that indicted the Women Affairs and Social Development Ministry for Spending N275 Million on non-existing Rehabilitation Institutes for Persons with Disabilities, he demanded that the corrupt officials must be made to pay a high price for their corruption.
“I want the government to really look into this corruption issue. I think the government said they are fighting corruption but I don’t think they are doing their best and I don’t know if it is lip-service or they truly mean the fight against corruption.
“What the government should do is at least let us see someone who stole N1 million jailed for ten, twenty or thirty years,” he further stated.
Ekujereonye commended the federal government for the passage of the Persons with Disabilities Bill, he, however, lamented on action towards the implementation of the act.
“This bill has been part of the act and we have it in our kits but the problem remains implementation.
“If you go to public buildings, most of them don’t have lifts or parking lots for persons with disabilities. If the commission is set up fully, I think after five years they will begin to pursue and make sure this act is implemented to the latter,” Ekujereonye said.
Earlier in the programme, Peace Oriaku Ezekiel, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), regretted that the vast majority of the 25 million Nigerians with disabilities are not aware of the N275 Million swooped on rehabilitation institutes by the Women Affairs Ministry.
She stressed that PWDs suffer a great deal of injustice in employment and in several sectors due to systemic corruption.
Speaking on the efforts of the CDD, Ezekiel said, “We have a project to strengthen citizens’ resistance against the prevalence of corruption which we have run for five years, they are; Scrap-C project, and Upright for Nigeria Campaign. We have it in Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna states and in Abuja. This project helped us to build persons with disabilities on resisting corruption.”
It will be recalled that the Department of Rehabilitation was moved from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management at the inception of President Buhari’s second term in 2019.
However, the co-convener of the programme, Adaobi Obiabunmuo revealed that PRIMORG’s effort to bring both ministries to join the programme proved abortive as they never responded to their invitation during the programme and after the programme.
The ICIR investigation had revealed how the Ministry of Women Affairs spent N275 million on non-existing Rehabilitation Institutes for persons living with disabilities.
NIGERIAN President, Muhammadu Buhari, has said the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the October 10 Ondo state gubernatorial election, Rotimi Akeredolu deserves to be re-elected.
Buhari said this on Wednesday in a virtual message from the Presidential Villa at the grand finale of the APC’s governorship campaign rally.
“Akeredolu deserves to be re-elected to consolidate the good work he commenced in his first term. I am not just proud of his achievements; I am confident he will enjoy the mandate of the good people of Ondo State for the second term
“The performance of governor Rotimi Akeredolu is endearing and he has taken the state to a new level and on the part of prosperity,” said Buhari.
The president urged participants in the election to avoid violence and play the game by the rules charging them to come out en mass to vote without any fear of intimidation or harassment.
“As a government, all necessary measures and security will be put in place to ensure free and fair election come Saturday 10th October,” Buhari assured the citizens of the state.
Mai Mala Buni, the National Caretaker Chairman of the APC during the rally said he is rest assured that the party would come out victorious in the Saturday polls.
“We are here to win the election. We are here not to create or cause any violence. We are here to consolidate our mandate on Aketi.
“I want our people to come out en masse on Saturday and vote for APC in order to sustain the continuity of progress in Ondo State.”
The Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello who was also present at the APC rally said governor Akeredolu has performed credibly well in all strata of government including massive infrastructural drive and human capital development.
“This is why we are asking for continuity so that he can consolidate on his achievements.
“Don’t be intimidated by the opposition parties because we are going to win in the whole 18 local government areas in the state. It is going to be a landslide victory, we will win, don’t be intimidated.”
Some of the Nigerian governors present at the election rally include Abubakar Bello (Niger) Solomon Lanlong (Plateau) Abdulrasak Abdulrahman (Kwara), Babagana Zulu (Borno), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Umaru Ganduje (Kano), Inuwa Yayah (Gombe), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi).
Babajide Sanwo Olu (Lagos) Abubakar Nassau (Jigawa) Hope Uzodima (Imo) and former governor Abdul Aziz Yari of Zamfara and ministers among others were also present in support of Akeredolu.
The Board of Trustees and Governing Board of the Environmental Rights Development Foundation (ERDF) and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, has disowned its former executive director, Godwin Uyi Ojo.
The organization in a statement signed by Ike Okonta, its BOT Secretary, and made available to The ICIR on Wednesday stated that the former director was removed from its trusteeship in 2015 following allegations of misconduct and actions that could threaten its peace and progress.
According to the statement, Ojo who recently called for a General Assembly on October 7, 2020, in Benin City, was subsequently relieved of his appointment at an emergency meeting by the board on October 3, 2020, following an independent evaluation commissioned by the board.
“The Board would not have considered the illegal convening worth being given any attention but for the stakeholders of ERA/FoEN who might be scandalized if the Board remains silent,” ERA said.
“To put the records straight, Godwin Uyi Ojo was removed from the Trusteeship of the ERA/FoEN in 2015 following allegations of gross misconduct and actions inimical to peace and progress of the organisation.
“Similarly, the Board had on October 3, 2020 held an Emergency meeting where the decision to relieve Godwin Ojo of his appointment as executive director was taken. The decision followed the report of an independent evaluation of the organisation commissioned by the Board.
“The evaluation concluded that The current ED who is by nature of the position ultimately responsible for the day to day functioning of the organization and staff management appears to be out of his depth, lacking both leadership and management sufficient to the task.
“Members of the Board who signed Ojo’s Ouster are Nnimmo Bassey, Dr. Ike Okonta, Dr. Joe-Okei Odumakin, Professor Margaret Okorodudu-Fubara, Akinbode Oluwafemi and Daphne Wysham.
“Instead of abiding by the decision of the Board, Ojo has been involving himself in illegalities including the purported General Assembly Meeting where he brought together faceless civil society groups.”
It urged the general public to note that Ojo is no longer a member of ERA/FoEN and does not in any way represent the organisation in any capacity.
Environmental Rights Action (ERA) is a Nigerian advocacy non-governmental organisation founded on January 11, 1993 to deal with environmental human rights issues in Nigeria. ERA is the Nigerian chapter of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI).
THE Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Federal government of Nigeria to implement the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution on Safety of Journalists.
MRA made the call in a statement issued in Lagos state and made available to The ICIR on Wednesday.
Edetaen Ojo, the Executive Director of MRAin the statement said the resolution with code A/HRC/45/L.42/Rev.1, was introduced by Austria and adopted by a consensus of the 47-member UN Human Rights Council at its 45th Regular Session, which ends on Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ojo said the Federal Government should give full effect to its provisions, including bringing all its laws, policies and practices into compliance with its obligations under international human rights law, as required by the resolution.
“This latest resolution by the Human Rights Council on the safety of journalists is clear and comprehensive guidance to governments around the world, including the Nigerian Government, on the concrete actions they need to take to protect their journalists and media communities given the invaluable service they provide to their societies; to keep their citizens properly informed, and to fulfil their obligations under international human rights law as far as media freedom is concerned,” said Ojo.
According to Ojo, the Nigerian government should establish preventive mechanisms, such as an early warning and rapid response mechanism, to give journalists and media workers, when threatened, immediate access to authorities competent and adequately resourced to provide effective protective measures.
He also urged the government to develop and implement strategies for combating impunity for attacks against journalists as well as accountability into the conduct of investigations on attacks on media workers.
He further reiterated that the authority should take into account the specific role, exposure and vulnerability of journalists and media workers observing, monitoring, recording and reporting protests and assemblies, and protecting their safety and ensured that defamation and libel laws are not misused to censor journalists.
“Cooperating with journalists, the media and civil society organizations to assess the damage that the COVID-19 pandemic is inflicting on the provision of vital information to the public and the sustainability of media environments, and to consider devising appropriate mechanisms to provide financial support to the media, including local journalism and investigative reporting, and to ensure that support is given without compromising editorial independence,” MRA advised.
The Community to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had also called on the Nigerian government to scrap or amend the Nigeria Cyber Crimes Act to ensure it is not used to stifle the press.
IF President Muhammadu Buhari complies with an instruction given by the Senate on Wednesday, just a few people will be in his entourage when he goes to the National Assembly to present the 2021 budget estimates on Thursday.
At Wednesday’s plenary, Senate President Ahmed Lawan announced that only those involved in the actual preparation of the budget should accompany Buhari for the event.
Buhari is expected to present the 2021 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly tomorrow (Thursday).
Outlining the National Assembly’s plans for the budget presentation ceremony, the Senate President said, “This time around because of the situation of COVID-19 pandemic, we have made arrangements to observe social distancing in the chamber.
“We also have to wear or face masks mandatorily. We are going to also abridge the entire event because we will be many there.
“So the entire event will last just about an hour. From the entry of the President into the chamber and addresses and the presentation and laying will be just an hour event.
“This is done so that we would be able to comply with the requirements of the COVID-19 protocol.
“Mr. President this time around will not be accompanied by many people on the entourage.
“Only a few people – very key and relevant to the budget – will accompany Mr. President into the chamber. I think by the arrangement those of them that have little to do with the budget will join virtually what will happen.”
The National Assembly’s call for a lean presidential entourage for the budget presentation ceremony might have been informed by a need for social distancing, in compliance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines, but it has also highlighted the need to drastically reduce the huge of governance in the country – a need that has become very urgent against the backdrop of dwindling revenue and spiralling public debt.
Over the years, successive governments have identified the obvious need to reduce the cost of governance, but they all ended up paying lip service to the issue, while at the same time, taking actions that further worsened the situation.
Despite trillions accruing to the country as revenue from oil each year, Nigerians are still confronted with inadequate infrastructure and a major reason for the situation is the fact that most of the country’s funds go into recurrent expenditure, such as payment of salaries and allowances, purchase of vehicles, accommodation, medical expenses and others.
And in a country where political office comes with mind-boggling perks, including wardrobe, furniture and vehicle allowances, it is not surprising that recurrent expenditure, which takes us a greater proportion of annual budgets, will continue to increase of political office holders appoint numerous aides into even unnecessary positions just to service political patronage.
In the revised 2020 budget, out of the N10.8 trillion budgeted by the Federal Government, N4.9 trillion – the largest share of the budget – went to recurrent expenditure while capital expenditure got just N2.4 trillion – less than 50 percent of the amount allocated for recurrent expenditure.
Interestingly, N2.9 trillion – more than the amount voted for capital expenditure – was earmarked for debt servicing.
It was a similar tale in 2019, when, out of the N8.91 trillion Federal Government budget, N4.05 trillion went to recurrent expenditure leaving just N2.09 trillion for capital expenditure.
This is despite the fact that the Federal Government claims that most of the borrowings made in recent times, which has taken the country’s total public debt portfolio to about N31.01 trillion, as at June 2020, was to fund capital projects.
While campaigning before the 2015 presidential election, the All Progressives Congress had, in its manifesto promised to have a leaner government bureaucracy when elected into office but, since 2015, it’s administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari, has not fulfilled the promise. Rather, Buhari has actually done the opposite – when he named his cabinet in 2019, he created five new ministers and appointed ministers for each of them, thereby increasing the cost of governance by enlarging the size of the bureaucracy.
The constitution stipulated that each of the country’s 36 states must have a minister, but, at the moment Buhari has 44 ministers. In most of the ministries, the Ministers of State are merely filling in positions without any practical roles assigned to them. And this situation extends to countless aides, whose remunerations contribute to bloating the cost of governance without any measurable benefit to the country.
Hopes that the longstanding problem of the huge cost of governance would be addressed once and for all were raised when, on the occasion of the Democracy Day on June 12, 2020, Buhari promised that the White Paper on the rationalisation of government parastatals and agencies would be reviewed for implementation.
The White Paper, also known as the Oronsaye Report, was the report of the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, under the chairmanship of Mr. Steve Oronsaye, which was set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.
The 800-page report contained far-reaching recommendations on ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government that should be scrapped, those to be merged and those to become self-funding, in order to free funds for much needed capital projects across the country.
While Buhari’s pronouncement that the White Paper would be finally implemented is yet to materialise, the government’s body language suggests that it is still business as usual and even more new agencies are to be created.
Despite misgivings over duplications in the functions of the anti-corruption agencies – the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, as well as the police, the Federal Executive Council in September approved a bill that seeks to, among other things, create a new agency that will be saddled with the responsibility of managing proceeds of crimes in the country. The proposed agency is, from the title of the bill, to be known as ‘Proceeds of Crime Recovery and Management Agency’. By the time the agency becomes functional, it will have its own personnel, require office accommodation and other logistics, all of which would further bloat the cost of governance by bloating the Federal Government’s recurrent expenditure.
As of May 2020, there were about 142 presidential aides attached to the President, his wife, the Vice President, the Vice President’s wife, and the President’s Chief of Staff. The list includes about eight Special Advisers to the President, 55 Senior Special Assistants, 64 Special Assistants, and 15 Personal Assistants.
Ministers also have their own aides, and in fact, even aides have been known to also have a retinue of aides.
In normal situations, nearly all the presidential aides would accompany the President to major events, such as the budget presentation and the large entourage that would be brought about by the development would become a major burden for security agents, who in their overzealous quest to protect the ‘VIPs’, end up harassing ‘ordinary’ people.
The large fleet of expensive vehicles that form the convoys of major public office holders, particularly those of the President, state governors, and principal officers of the National Assembly, as well as military chiefs, is another factor that bloats the cost of governance in the country.
These large convoys could be done away with if the social distancing requirement of the COVID -19 prevention guidelines is adopted as the tradition in the post-COVID -19 era.
SAVE for an elderly man and a little boy, no older than 10 years old sheltering from the smothering sun, the open-air trampoline roofed shack was almost empty.
Four months ago, Olayemi Oluwafemi, 35, a welder, would has been seen at the shack, cutting and soldering together iron rods for burglar-proof doors and gates, which were a popular order from his clientele.
The ear-splitting noise from his rickety 3.5kVA petrol-powered generator indicates that residents of Kwamba in Suleja, Niger State, were without electrical power supply, again.
Oluwafemi, a father of four, was running his welding business in Suleja at a loss. He was spending N1,000, One thousand nairas ($2.60) daily to purchase petrol to power his welding machine because electricity from the national grid comes up only for two hours daily.
He barely makes a weekly profit of N10,000 ($26.04). A hard pill for him to swallow, considering he pays N10,000 monthly for electricity consumed from the national grid.
Olayemi Oluwafemi, 37, relocated from Suleja to Abuja due to inconsistent power supply.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, his flow of customers from Suleja slowed down to a trickle. This prompted him to tag along with some of his friends to look for welding job opportunities in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city– 30 kilometres from home.
The interstate lockdown at the time led to a price hike in the transport fare, which made it financially difficult for him to commute from Suleja to Abuja weekly in his quest for new opportunities.
After shuttling between both cities, while working for some clients in Abuja he packed up shop in Suleja, permanently relocating his workshop to Abuja while his family stayed back in Niger State.
“If I was going to train my children with this work, staying in Abuja permanently was the sensible option. Besides in Kwamba here, I was spending over N1,000 daily on fuel, and that doesn’t stop the electricity company from charging me N10,000 for the estimated electricity bill every month,” he said.
Since he relocated to Abuja, the welder only sees his kids on the weekends when he visits home.
The city of dams, darkness, and dirty alternatives
Niger state is home to three of Nigeria’s largest hydroelectric generation dams—Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro constructed in 1968, 1985, 1990 respectively. A fourth dam is currently under construction.
The ride from Suleja to Abuja takes barely an hour and 30 minutes. Because of its proximity to the Federal Capital Territory, it is easy to erroneously assume Suleja enjoys constant power supply, just as the FCT.
However, the rural city is often plunged into days of darkness with no electrical power. On such days, small enterprises such as a beauty salon run by Ogbuanohs that rely solely on electricity to run their businesses are left to grope in the dark.
Ogbuanoh, 18, had a piece of paper on her hands with which she fanned herself and her sister Blessing Ogbuanoh, 38, at intervals.
The Ogbuanoh sisters run a beauty hair salon on Old Nepa Road, Suleja. For the next 10 hours, this section of the town will be in a blackout.
The electricity distribution companies (Discos) are rationing electricity supply and the shops on this lane will have to wait their turn.
The electricity power supply had been interrupted since 11 am that morning, barely two hours after it was restored and the stylists had no option but to generate their electricity for business.
And the two sisters are not the kind to let a walk-in customer leave without a hair wash and a dry. In a few minutes, the loud hum of their genset will contribute more noise to the already uproarious plaza.
To make up for the N15,000 ($39.06) monthly petrol expenses, customers are charged more for the extra service.
Over the two decades since Blessing Ogbuanoh, a mother of two has been a stylist, generating energy for her hair salon has never been as financially burdensome as the past few years.
Blessing and Ruth Ogbuanoh, Hairstylist &Beautician. Photo credit, JENNIFER UGWA
Per annum, she spends around N180,000 ($468.75) on petrol alone. This sum is higher than her yearly rent.
“I pay N150,000 ($390.62) for my shop rent and N5,000 ($13.02) as an estimated electricity bill every month.
“Thankfully, my customers understand the situation so the complaint is minimal when I ask for the extra electricity charge when I use the power while I make their hair,” she said.
Put together, all three functioning dams in Niger State supply a combined 1,900 megawatts of power to the national grid.
‘They have tried’, referring to Discos, is now a normal comment. The tongue-in-cheek remark is never far from the lips of residents and businesses upon the interruption of electrical power on the rare occasions that more than three hours of power is supplied.
According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, SMEs contribute to about 50 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. A 2019 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, PWC only 772,441 commercial ventures are consumers of electricity in Nigeria.
This is a small number compared to over 41.5 million SMEs operating in the country. It is assumed that the remaining 40 million businesses are either running their business using residential meters or entirely unmetered.
Only 3.39 million of 7.48 million households connected to distribution companies are metered according to PWC.
Hence, paying high estimated electricity bills has since become a financial burden that most Nigerians shoulder and this is no different for electricity-dependent businesses in Suleja.
No one listens to anyone
Just like his colleague Olufemi, who two months before he decided to relocate his business base to Abuja, Ade Ola, 46, works independently off the national grid.
Ola and his apprentice at work. Photo Credit, JENNIFER UGWA
Ola and his apprentice at work. Photo Credit, JENNIFER UGWA (2)
Ola Ade, Welder in Suleja, Niger state, Photo credit, JENNIFER UGWA
Today he is seen assisted by an apprentice while he makes haste to keep to the allotted number of days his new secured welding contract allowed.
Ola was contracted to fix a series of aesthetically pine-shaped rods on the outer fence of Mac Hotel, a nondescript modern building on the outskirts of the city center.
He’s also going to be installing new poles for solar-powered street lights.
“We have already spent N1,500 ($3.91) on fuel today, and we are yet to meet the day’s target. The light is useless to me when it comes on, sometimes the voltage is too low for my welding equipment.
“A serious-minded government would help the people but this is Nigeria for you. No one listens to anyone.
“I am my own Disco. That is the only way to get this done,” Ola laughed.
He has been a welder for the past 27 years. After three days and no stable grid power, the duo is getting the work done with a Thermocool mini generating set running on what is supposed to be a walkway now covered in mud.
The World Health Organization linked outdoor air pollution associated with combustion, including generators, to an estimated 4.2millon premature deaths in both cities and rural areas in 2016 alone.
Despite the health and environmental risks of using Gensets, Nigerians spend $14 billion on generators and fuel annually, according to Ebrima Faal, African Development Bank (AfDB) in Nigeria.
Trading blames
The Nigerian energy sector was reformed in 2005. Since then, private companies can take part in the generation, transmission, and distribution of energy.
At the moment, 11 fully privatised distribution companies distribute power to the 36 states in the country.
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, (AEDC) is responsible for distributing power to four of these states: Abuja, Kogi, Niger and Nasarawa, all in the north-central region.
Kainjidam.jpg Photo credit_ Ministry of water resources
Electric connections. PhotoCredit_ Rural Electrification Agency.
“The energy supply in Suleja is a reflection of what the majority of Nigerians are experiencing due to low power generation,” said Emmanuel Onemu, Office Manager Abuja (AEDC) in an interview with this reporter.
He acknowledged that the sector is limited by multiple challenges.
According to Onemu, Nigerians are kept away from reliable power supply due to a mix of low power generation, transmission and distribution, corruption, fund diversion, mismanagement on rural electrification projects, inadequate transmission equipment and energy theft.
“The three key levels in the energy sector are handled by different bodies. That makes it harder to achieve certain goals, and that’s why there’ll be certain bottlenecks that could hinder effective operation.
“The resultant effect will be that power will not always be regular,” he said.
Meanwhile, the official, who said he was not entirely familiar with the technical intrigues of the sector, said the systematic rationing of energy in Suleja was due to low power generation from the generating company and a limited number of transmission equipment.
“For instance, if there are 5,000 buildings and the capacity of the installed transformer within the locality cannot transmit the required amount of electrical energy to all 5,000 houses at the same time, instead of leaving all 5,000 in darkness, we can decide to supply power to 2,500 building for a few hours and then the next 2,500 for another few hours.
“It is what we call load-shedding,” he said.
The Disco official claimed that government policies and interference put distribution companies at a loss.
However, contrary to the Disco official claims, Engr. Ishaq Mohammed Lapai, Director for Energy and Power, Ministry of Works, Niger State in a phone interview with this reporter said the unstable power supply in the state “is a surprise to the Ministry”.
Rather he claimed that a major factor affecting constant energy supply in the state was the Discos’ unwillingness to invest and upgrade distribution equipment.
“Enough power is generated and transmitted, but they cannot distribute it efficiently. The government felt that the reform in the sector would yield new developments, but the opposite is the case,” he said.
Lapai claimed that despite a series of dialogues between the Disco and the government to rectify the erratic electricitysupply situation, no change is in view.
No leave, No transfer
Lapai is not the only one who feels that the privatisation of the sector limited energy distribution in Suleja.
“The Disco’s can decide to seize the power all day and restore it in the middle of the night by 11 pm to 1 am. And at that time, I won’t risk stepping out of my house even if I am being paid a million Naira. Automatically, no light means no work ” said Benjamin Omojesu, 57, electrical technician and a father of nine.
Benjamin Omojesus. Photocredit_ Jennifer Ugwa
Popularly known as “Baba No Problem” due to his interjections of ‘no problem’ in conversations, Omojesu has been an electrician for over 30 years.
In narrating the challenging ordeals brought on by lack of power in the city and the effects on his job, the electrician said the privatisation of the Nigerian Power Holding Company was a crippling move.
“There is more increase in payments and a decrease in consumption. It was when we had the National Electric Power Authority that Niger state had a better power supply.
“Now despite having functioning dams, we do not have a steady power supply,” the technical director of God’s Will Electrical Work complained.
The grandfather from Ondo who has made a life for himself in Suleja is not considering a permanent relocation to Nigeria’s federal capital but hopes to get contracts from Abuja.
He is not opposed to commuting from Suleja to Abuja for a few days’ job.
Taking a clean break
The recent increase in the prices of petroleum products in the post-COVID-19 era, made worse by the estimated billing systems of electricity-dependent businesses in Suleja, is pushing entrepreneurs to opt-out of the unfavourable status quo.
But some businesses, such as Barbers Gallery, are taking a more sustainable and healthy path.
Tucked in a corner of the busy street leading to the Ibrahim Babangida International Market, the barber-shop is the only one of its kind that runs solely on solar energy in the area.
After trashing another generator two weeks ago due to technical issues; making it the fourth one in three years, Badamasi Aleey Zachery, 36, father of three and professional barber, knew that if he was going to keep running a customer satisfying establishment, it was time for an electric power upgrade.
And this time, he was going clean.
After days of deliberation with renewable energy consultants, Zachery had a solar hybrid inverter installed one week later. His new upgrade cost N600,000 ($1562.50).
“Despite payments of outrageous estimated electricity charges, there was nothing to show for it.”
“I did the math and realised that I was making massive losses. I have three boys that need food on their plates and I have bills to pay. A huge portion of my earnings was spent on fuel and fixing the generator.
“Disconnecting from the national grid is one of the best business decisions I made this year. Now I can breathe easy,” he said.
The barber told this reporter that, before, he spent a weekly total of N8,500 ($22.14), on fuel alone. In a year, Zachery would have spent N442,000 ($1137.81) on fuel alone. A sum that would pay his annual rent four times!
Nonetheless, with three apprentices and a recent boost in clientele that he attributed to his recent energy upgrade, Zachery is optimistic to make more than 50 percent of the amount it cost him to install the energy system by December.
Government policies and the renewable energy sector
In March when a bill to ban the importation of generators into Nigeria passed the first reading in the Senate, climate and health activists hailed the push by the lawmakers for laws on cleaner sources of energy.
However, until May 2020, a five per cent Value Added Tax and a heavy customs duty was still placed on the importation of solar panels into the country.
So, when the VAT waiver for a few renewable energy equipments was announced, it came as a relief for investors in the sector.
But even though the news may seem good, the list of exempted equipment excluded deep cycle solar batteries.
Deep cycle solar battery used by Zachery. –
Experts say this undermines Nigerian’s commitment to the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement, intrinsically connected to SDG goal 7; of achieving affordable and clean energy by 2030.
Engineer Paul James, Director Polar Advance Energy Solution Limited and former consultant on power to Nigeria on Millenium Goals, now Sustainable Development Goals bemoaned high taxes and customs duties on renewable energy equipment.
In an interview with this reporter, James said heavy importation charges will keep huge investments in the Nigerian renewable energy sector from serving its energy-starved populace.
“Whatever VAT they (government) claimed to have removed is a joke. There is no significant change. Instead, we are seeing an increase rather than a decline.
“Besides, the port officials find other means of billing investors.
“They are ready to take you for all you have if they have their way,” James said.
Also, he said the lacklustre attitude of the government in creating and implementing policies is a big setback within the renewable energy sector.
“The high cost of renewable energy equipment is due to the absence of a cost control regulatory agency. So everyone sells as they buy. I think we still have a long way to go,” he said.
This weekend, Oluwafemi is spending an hour away from his children again. But this time, he is within the neighborhood.
The welder had been called on by an old client upon his arrival from Abuja the previous day to fix a door lock for one of his old clients in Suleja.
He still has dreams of moving his business back home someday.
“My life is here, but this is just the way it has to be for now,” Oluwafemi said.
With only 12,000 MW of installed capacity out of which just 3,000 MW to 4,000 MW gets to end-users in a country of almost 200 million people, Suleja is not the only Nigerian city experiencing energy challenges as it is estimated that over 90 million Nigerians are not connected to the grid.
This story was supported under the African Energy reporting fellowship by Climate Tracker.
BABAGANA Zulum, Governor of Borno State, has charged the Nigerian Army to change its tactics to achieve more successful outcomes in its fight against Boko Haram terrorists in the North East.
Zulumwho made the charge during the Chief of Army Staff quarterly meeting which was held in the state capital, Maiduguri, on Tuesday, added that the Army must also embark on confidence-building and sharing mechanisms with its host communities.
“The Nigerian Army must, therefore, take the war to all the hideouts of the Boko Haram Camp and surely should not wait and give the insurgents the opportunity of the first attack,” he said.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Nigerian Army must also embark on confidence-building and confidence sharing mechanisms with communities and civil authorities.”
Speaking, Tukur Burutai, Chief of Army Staff, applauded the delivery of more equipment which according to him, would help in the prosecution of the war against terror.
Borno State has been the epi-centre of the terrorist attacks with the governor also coming under a series of attacks in recent times.
On September 27, while on his way out of Baga town after a two-day visit to receive indigenes of the town back home after 21 months of exile, the governor’s convoy was attacked.
Few kilometres away from Baga, unknown assailants believed to be Boko Haram opened fire on his escorts.
The attack happened barely 48 hours after his officials were ambushed on the same route while travelling to Baga.
At least 11 security personnel made up of eight policemen and three civilian JTF members were killed in the attack.
Saddened by the incident, which according to him, was the first in 18 months since he became governor, Zulum assured the wives of the slain officers of his commitment to supporting their livelihood and education of their children.
