Opinion
Reduction Of Electricity Tariff: How Desirable?
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission last Wednesday announced the immediate reduction of electricity tariff by 50 per cent.
How did Nigerians welcome the news? Of what use will the tariff review be to the citizens? Our Chief Corresponent, Calista Ezeaku sought answers to these questions from some members of the public. Egberi Sampson was the photographer.
Mrs Ilanye Jumbo-
Journalist. Well, the reduction of that tariff, as good as it sounds, how many Nigerians will actually enjoy it. There is one thing in announcing something, but it is another ball game entirely to implement what has been announced.
Take for example the reduction of the fuel pump price. It was reduced to N87.00 per a litre, but as I speak to you now, people still buy fuel at N100,00, N110.00 per a litreand that is if you see it.
So, as good as it sounds, as good as it seems, as good as it is going to help Nigerians, the major thing should be that there should be an implementation body, the people that will ensure that the reduction is actually implemented because it may have been reduced but when you go to pay now, you begin to hear stories, they will begin to tell you one thing or the other.
Now, there are people who use the pay as you go meter, for them it will be easier to know their bills. But for those who don’t have it, what happens? How will the calculation be done? Some people are given estimated bill, how will they generate their bills? Ordinarily, when electricity tariff is reduced a lot of things ought to spring up, a lot business opportunities ought to spring up but my dear, in the case of Nigeria, it is not always the same, it is not as it ought to be. Under normal circumstance, a lot industries ought to spring up, to enjoy from that reduction but I tell you, it may not be the case. We may not even start enjoying it may be in the next one year. It may begin to have effect after one year if every thing works the way it ought to work. to enjoy from it.
So, I will advise the electricity regulatory agency, if they are there, to sit up. They should sit up and ensure that every of that statement is follow up to the later, because at the end of the day, it is the masses that suffer. Under normal circumstance the reduction should help the people save a little money and use it for other purposes. For instance if I was paying N5000,00 before and it is reduced to N2,500.00 that means I am saving N2,500.00, but how constant is the light? If there is no constant power supply, it means I am going to keep buying N1,000.00 worth of fuel everyday as I have been doing for many months now to power my generator.
So, I don’t want to be a pessimist, but I want to pray and believe that having reduced the tariff, we want to appeal to them to please give us power, but if they will not give us power, they should go back to the old tariff if that will make us have constant power.
Mr Iyaragba Ebinay Media Personnel. I heard the announcement over the radio yesterday and I was happy. If they will implement it I think it will help the poor to be able to pay their electricity bill, I just hope that with the reduction, the power situation in the country will not get worse. I don’t want to believe as some people insinuate that the reduction was done for political reasons. For the federal government to have announced the reduction, that means they have their own inner plan, which I believe will bring about improvement in power supply in the country.
Comrade Dan Otukpo-Civil Servant. Well the cut is quite okay in the sense that the bills that were coming before now were becoming too crazy and without a direction. No direction in the sense that today will get a bill, tomorrow you get something higher than what you expected. The cut also reflects government’s sensitivity to the current hardship being experienced in the country provided it does not have political undertone, provided that not after the elections we begin to see even more increase in the electricity tariff.
If you go by the pay as you go meter, you can actually see that you will save a lot by means of the 50 per cent cut. But if you go by the analog meter where in most cases they bring whatever they feel like by a way of estimation, you may not necessarily see much impact. The cut will tell more on the industries depending on availability of power. It will improve their economy because by giving 50 per cent I think they will be able to have large scale production not minding the price per a unit. It will help our producers, our companies to produce more. The economics of large scale will come into play-power reduction, more scale. It can also give room to the employment of more hands.
For me, the reduction is good. I don’t see it leading to any cut in power because before the reduction I believe there must have been a sort of consultative meeting with the stakeholders.
However, I will advise that government through its institutions and agencies should monitor the reduction to ensure strict compliance otherwise we will still be in Egypt.
Mr Innocent Eze-Businessman. Well, the reduction is what we have been yearning for all these while. We had wanted a situation where government will create enabling environment for business entrepreneurs because the power issue is a serious matter to us. Without power, we cannot actually deliver our services to the public. Without power, we cannot do what we are supposed to do. Also with the high rate of electricity tariff we are constantly struggling to see how we can meet up.
We find it very difficult to meet up because whatever profit we make goes back to paying electricity bills and most of the time they don’t give us power. We buy fuel, we buy diesel to run generators and all these are at a very high rate. And so, it looks as if we are just rigmarolling in what we are doing because what ever little profit we make is used in paying for power, buying diesel and that. If government has seen the need and has come to alleviate our plights by reducing the tariff of electricity, that will be a welcome development.
Let me mention that the problem of the Power Holding Company is corruption. If things are done the way it is supposed to be done, if they receive the genuine electricity bill that people pay and keep the money for government, it will be enough to improve the power situation in the country. But I want to believe that most of those monies they collect are not remitted into government purse.
If you observe, many a times they don’t read meters. They only come and do what they call estimation. If what you are supposed to pay in a month is may be N10,000.00 because they are doing estimation before you know it, it has gone up to about N50,000.00. And I want to believe that they will pay the amount they know you are supposed to pay into government’s account and the rest goes into their pockets.
So the only option to solve this problem and ensure that everybody benefits from the tarriff reduction is through the use of pre-paid meters. Everybody should have it.
Mr Idawari Cookey-Gam- Businessman. The problem is that there is no light already. If there is light they can say they are reducing tariff and people will enjoy it. What you have not seen, how can you enjoy the cut off. So let the light come first and then we can appreciate what the federal government is doing. The issue is that PHCN is not even better for us. Since they took over from NEPA there is no difference. They are worse than NEPA. So for me, the tariff cut makes no sense. It is not what we need now in the country.
Government should try and bring the dollar price down and reduce inflation, that is what we are looking for now.
Loot at what happened to the petroleum sector, government said the pump priced has been reduced to N87.00 but we still buy at N110.00. But people do not mind as long as the product is available, you buy it and go your way. So even if the tariff is raised provided we see light and enjoy it is better than reducing the tariff but nobody sees the light.
Mrs Lucy Bello-Osagie-Businesswoman. There is a particular amount that government say people that are using cut out should be paying every month. By cut out I mean without a meter, people that consume power without meter. They are supposed to pay N3,000.00 every month but now they pay N15,000.00, N20,000.00 every month. Even those of us that use meter are not better. Sometimes the bill you are given if different from the actual amount you are supposed to pay. If you are paying N7,000.00 and next month, you are asked to pay N25,000.00 for the same points will you like it? They just give us bills arbitrarily and it is not good. So government should really look into the Power Holding Company and those working there. A lot of corrupt practices are going on there. You will see that some NEPA officials will come to record the bill, somebody’s meter is reading something and what they are recording is different. If the person’s meter is reading N8,000 they will record N15,000 and when you go to their office they will post you from one table to another.
I don’t even have power in my house now. Look at my cooler, I have been using ice-block for my business for over a year. I don’t have light for over a year and they are billing me over N200.00, from where? So the tariff reduction is a good thing but it cannot impact on the lives of the masses unless corruption in PHCN is tackled.
Opinion
Addressing Nigeria’s Social Ills Through Cultural Education
One of the critical problems confronting Nigeria today is the lack of recognition and appreciation of our tangible heritage, values, and norms – elements that are crucial for fostering social cohesion and responsibility. These values, which are inherently adaptive, can only be transmitted effectively through cultural education.Nigerian food Cultural education involves socialising individuals into the norms, values, and heritage of a given society through mediums such as folktales. Its primary intent is to nurture socially responsible and morally upright individuals who contribute positively to their community. In essence, cultural education is a learned behavioral pattern shared and transmitted from one generation to another. It encompasses customs, traditions, beliefs, arts, and philosophies of life. As Babs Fafunwa (1994) observed, every society, regardless of its size, has its unique ways of transmitting its cultural heritage.
Cultural education plays a vital role in shaping a child’s character and physical skills. Cultural education also has unique ways of instilling respect for elders and authority in the child. In addition, cultural education helps in developing intellectual abilities, fostering a sense of belonging, and promoting active participation in family and community affairs. This concept also cultivates a healthy attitude towards honest labour while it also helps to preserve the community’s cultural heritage. However, since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the infiltration of foreign cultures, technological advancements, religious beliefs, and political systems have significantly helped in the erosion of the country’s social fabric. Today, Nigeria grapples with the loss of cultural values in more ways than one. The country also grapples with moral laxity among youths, violence, delinquent behaviours as well as the disruption of traditional political systems.
Beyond these, lack of cultural education has also triggered a decline in political will among the country’s citizenry. Thus, social issues such as sex abuse, prostitution, drug trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, internet fraud (which are more commonly known as 419); cybercrime, militancy, armed robbery, and examination malpractice have become rampant. However, these challenges can be mitigated through the promotion and sustenance of cultural education in Nigeria. Bringing cultural education forward in the country’s socio-political and economic systems would go a long way in redirecting the citizenry from the identified social ills. For instance, cultural socialization teaches children the proper ways to greet elders and interact respectfully. Observing parents during ceremonies are also a way to achieving this. Ceremonies such as weddings, child-naming, or funerals help children learn appropriate behaviour at such and sundry ceremonies, and decorum. Unfortunately, many youths today lack respect for elders and are antagonistic to cultural values. Instead, they are influenced by foreign films, contents and literature which often glorify disrespect to our culture; violence and weapon use. As a result, some have become political thugs, religious extremists or armed robbers. They now pose a severe threat to Nigeria’s national survival.
Furthermore, exposure to undesirable foreign cultures has led to extensive moral degradation which manifest in ways such as drug abuse, prostitution, theft, and internet fraud. Dressing among Nigerian youths is another concern. Many young people disregard their cultural heritage and show utmost disdain for their geographical environment. For example, some young women wear clothing that leaves vital parts of their bodies exposed, while young men adopt unkempt appearances, including sagging their trousers and leaving their shirts unbuttoned. There are also instances of unfastened shoelaces. These issues can be addressed through family-based cultural socialisation, where parents play a critical role in imparting cultural education. It is therefore recommended that, to address these social ills, the following measures are suggested. The first is that there should be ways to incorporate cultural education into the curriculum of our schools. Nigeria’s education system should be reviewed to emphasise cultural education, including the use of indigenous languages for instruction. Cultural elements such as morality, taboos, mores, and folktales should be promoted to shape human behaviour positively.
Another suggestion is that we should indigenise the Nigerian political systems. The political system should incorporate cultural principles and practices specific to Nigeria’s diverse cultural environments. This will encourage greater participation and accountability among political leaders. Thirdly, we must promote local content in media. A ban should be placed on the excessive use of foreign entertainment packages in media houses and on social media. Instead, Nigerian cultural content should be prioritised and promoted to reinforce cultural identity. Also, we must strengthen parental socialisation. Through this, families must embrace parental socialisation as a key method for imparting cultural education. Parents should model cultural values and behaviours to guide their children effectively. Cultural education is very essential for curbing social ills in Nigeria. By integrating it into our education system, political practices and media content, we can foster a society rooted in strong moral values and cultural heritage, thereby ensuring a strong and brighter future for generations to come.
Modupe is Chief Museum Education Officer, National Commission for Museums & Monuments, Osogbo, Osun State.
Veronica Adewole
Opinion
Promoting Citizens’ Power In Democracy
2027 is sealed for Mr. President. When I say 18 over 18, it means we are going to deliver our 18 local governments to Mr. President.”
Reading the above statement by the governor of Edo State, Mr. Monday Okpebholo, one wonders what the future holds for Nigeria’s democracy. In any true democracy, the power to elect leaders rests solely in the hands of the people. This principle is the foundation of democracy, ensuring that governance is based on the will of the majority rather than the rule of a single individual or a privileged few. Unfortunately, in Nigeria political elites and influential figures attempt to manipulate the electoral process, undermining the will of the citizens. We often hear governors and some other politicians talking tough, boasting of how they would sweep all votes in an election. This practice not only weakens democracy but also fosters corruption, inefficiency, and a disconnect between leadership and the people’s actual needs.
Such statements suggest a predetermined outcome of an election rather than a free and fair electoral process. And in a democratic society such as our, this has several implications. Firstly, there is a threat to free and fair elections. Democracy thrives on competitive, transparent, and credible elections where citizens freely choose their leaders. The claim that all votes will go to one candidate suggests electoral manipulation, coercion, or suppression of opposition. Secondly, it portrays a disregard for voter choice. It is said that in a democracy, the electorates are the kings because they are supposed to have the power to determine who sits on any political seat. But when a governor claims that the votes to be cast in his state in the next two years are already meant for a particular candidate, it suggests that the election result is already determined, it makes voters feel powerless and discouraged to participate in politics.
Statements and actions like Okpobholo’s erode political pluralism. Democracy requires multiple parties competing fairly. Declaring total victory before an election dismisses the role of opposition parties and reduces political competition to a mere formality. The statement also raises concerns about potential election rigging, vote-buying, or manipulation of electoral institutions to favor one candidate, which damages public trust in the democratic system. If there are no plans to commit these electoral offences, how possible is it that all the numerous opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which just handed over power to the ruling party in Edo State will not win even a single local government area?
This idea of a government in power winning elections at all cost and making elections in Nigeria less competitive and predetermined outcomes is the reason institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), judiciary, and security agencies are seen as compromised.
This, no doubt, weakens our democracy. Another implication of Okpobholo’s rhetoric is that it can provoke political unrest, resistance from opposition parties, and loss of faith in democratic processes, leading to increased instability and potential conflicts. Nigeria is already soaked with too much political and economic tensions and cannot afford to have more due to the selfish interest of a few individuals. Another troubling trend is the growing influence of governors, party leaders, and other politicians in handpicking candidates for elections. Instead of allowing a free and fair process where citizens decide, these power brokers often impose their preferred candidates, who may not necessarily represent the interests of the people. Such interference leads to a leadership that is accountable not to the electorate but to the few individuals who orchestrated their rise to power.
Have we not seen enough of this in display where elected lawmakers both on the federal and state levels would choose to do the biddings of their masters in the executive arm of government over the interest of Nigerians who elected them? Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo while speaking on the failure of democracy in Africa recently aptly defined what we currently have in Nigeria thus, “Today we have democracy which is government of the people, of a small number of people, by a small number of people over a large number of people who are deprived of what they need to have in life.” Some people have come heavily on the former president and the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi who shared the same sentiment for daring to criticize the present-day practice of democracy in Nigeria when in their days in offices some of their actions accountable and effective leadership.
Additionally, the legal framework governing elections should be strengthened to ensure transparency. INEC and the states’ electoral umpire free from political interference, must oversee the entire process, guaranteeing that every vote counts and that the people’s choices are respected. Political parties should also be mandated to conduct primaries that genuinely reflect the will of their members, rather than serving as a mere formality for predetermined outcomes.Our elected leaders across board should be advised to face governance and deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians who put them in office instead of politicking all the time. It is about two years to the next general elections and the major preoccupation of the leaders seems to be plans and scheming of how to come back in office in 2027 instead of dealing with economic, insecurity, unemployment and other challenges facing the country. How can Nigeria move forward like that?
Calista Ezeaku
Opinion
Making Wise Decisions Amid Pressure
Look before you leap”, is one of the wise sayings that over the years I have been emotionally attached to. It means so much to me because the debilitating consequences of unguided actions are better imagined than experienced. “Look before you Leap” teaches me to be thoughtful, articulate, discreet dispassionate and solicit for advice of the experienced and reasonable people where necessary. I have seen people reveal their stark ignorance because they took decisions rashly and without considering the implications of their actions or inactions, only to say, “had I known” which is an euphemism for failure. It has therefore, become necessary to “look before you leap”. Rehoboam, son of Bible’s King Solomon lost 10 of a 12-tribe kingdom of lsrael to Jeroboam. The negative consequences of lack of conscientious and enlightened guide before taking action has landed many to avoidable regrets.
Thoughtless actions happen every day and they are evidenced in the unpleasant outcomes of such decision. In 2024, a Federal High Court, Abuja sacked 20 Cross River State House of Assembly members which serves as an object lesson for thoughtless Lawmakers’ and elected representatives who want to defect from the party on whose platform they were elected to a preferred political party, whether the choice was based on sound judgement, ignorance or pecuniary gains. The Electoral Act is unambiguous and crystal clear so does not make judicial interpretation necessary, on the ground for an elected representative to leave his or her political party for a preferred one either by inducement, anticipated pecuniary benefits or blind loyalty.And the sublime reason must be premised on irreconcilable crisis in the political party of those elected who want to decamp or cross-carpet
Recall that on Monday March 18, 2024 a Federal High Court in Abuja sacked 20 members of the Cross River State House of Assembly. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had instituted a suit against the lawmakers over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ruling on the case marked “FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021 , Taiwo Taiwo, the presiding judge, held that the lawmakers should vacate their seats, having abandoned the political party that sponsored them to power. The affected lawmakers are: Michael Etaba, Legor Idagbor, Eteng Jonah William, Joseph A. Bassey, Odey Peter Agbe, Okon E. Ephraim, Regina L. Anyogo, Matthew S. Olory, Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, Ogbor Ogbor Udop and Ekpe Charles Okon.Others are Hillary Ekpang Bisong, Francis B. Asuquo, Elvert Ayambem, Davis Etta, Sunday U. Achunekan, Cynthia Nkasi, Edward Ajang, Chris Nja-Mbu Ogar and Maria Akwaji.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Assembly, Clerk of the National Assembly, Cross River State House of Assembly, Clerk of the Cross River State House of Assembly and the All Progressives Congress, were also joined as defendants in the suit. Though, in their defence, the lawmakers argued that there was rancour in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),which led to their expulsion from the party, the judge held that the defendants had intentions to mislead the court. He said he found gaps and loopholes in their defence as they tried to twist events to suit their own narratives.”They wined and dined under the umbrella of the plaintiff who also gave them shelter,” he said Taiwo noted that they not only defected loudly, “they took pictures of their defection and were received by the officials of the 26th defendant”.
“There is no doubt that the defendants can belong to or join any political association and assembly as they are free to do so,” he ruled. “I consider the attempts of the 6th – 25th defendants to justify their defection feeble in the circumstances of this case.” Taiwo said the public voted for the lawmakers through the plaintiff who sponsored them and they were not elected as independent candidates.”They had a vehicle which conveyed them and that vehicle belongs to the plaintiff. They cannot abandon the vehicle,” he held. Justice Taiwo’s judgment and several other judgments on thoughtless defections should have been a basis, landmark and precedent to determine whether the 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have the locus to publicly decamp to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and still retain their seats in the House as elected and honourable members of the House as declared by the Supreme Court in its Judgment on consolidated suits on the political crisis in Rivers State.
The judgment of the “learned” justices of the Supreme Court on the 27 defectors is a bitter pill to swallow. It is however, not a surprise because the aroma of the fart tells the substance of the poo. The wise man learns from the experiences of others and history. History repeats itself because people have refused to come to understanding. They are close-ended in learning. The essence of history is to avoid a reinvent of the negative past, use the ugly past to reconstruct the future. Legislators are elected to represent constituency consisting of people of all walks of life. They should rather strive to serve the people, solicit the consent of popular opinions on critical issues rather than serving their selfish interests. Those elected should see themselves as stewards and as stewards they are accountable to the people and God, not their political godfather.
It is high time our political leaders knew that the legitimacy of their positions is derived from the magnanimity of the people. They should therefore not take decisions without taking into cognisance the interest of the people they are representing, through intentional consultation.
By: Igbiki Benibo