By Matthew Mahmood
Under the new pricing regime due to become effective in April, tariffs will rise 25-88 per cent, though most customer classes will see a 50-per-cent increase in their bills.
—ThisDay
Dr Sam Amadi
Dr Sam Amadi used to be on the side of the masses as a TV political commentator. We were 'shocked' when we discovered that he was involved in the planned inflation of 88% increase on electricity bills in Nigeria as the Chairman/Chief Executive of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Where does Amadi expect the masses and struggling members of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria to get money from? In 2009, Vanguard investigations revealed that over 100 factories were shut down due to lack of electricity supply. Amadi has disappointed the masses who suffer from epileptic power supply and have never enjoyed undisrupted electricity supply in their lifetime. It is unfair. Does Amadi want the masses to occupy his office a la Occupy Nigeria movement, which was against the fake fuel subsidy removal?
Disgraced former House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole was involved in the N5.2 Billion Rural Electrification Agency scandal. Electricity scam of $16bn (£11bn) occurred during the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo. Why not recover the loot and use it to subsidize the tariff, rather than ask the masses to pay 50% – 88% tariff? Amadi who is a lawyer and public policy analyst has totally ‘changed’. Almost unbelievable!!!
“We are making sure that the urban poor and rural dwellers be provided a subsidy so that they don’t see a significant increase in tariff,” Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji, said in an interview with FT in Abuja. “The rest should be able to pay for it.”
—ThisDay
Can Professor Nnaji stop 'dribbling' the masses? There are poor people living in cities and not just in urban and rural areas. In fact, there are several slums in Nigerian cities. He should tell the masses how much will be subsidized for the poor and not just ‘measure’ poverty by the map of Nigeria since the less privileged hardly notice the difference.
According to Amadi on ABN Digital, the level of consumption of electricity by consumers would determine tariff rates while rural areas are to benefit from lower tariff because they consume 'less' electricity. He was more interested in satisfying the bidders of Nigeria electricity privatization than how it will affect the consumers in order to help the bidders to recover their capital. Tariff increment should not be a burden on consumers in a country with lack of government incentives.
It is obvious that a lot of pressure was mounted on Amadi because the new tariff was supposed to start on 1 January 2012, the same day that fuel subsidy was removed. NERC informed Nigerians since last year but the staggering percentage was not revealed. Is President Goodluck Jonathan not a man that lacks compassion?
As they say, if you can't beat them, join them. Amadi once said on AIT (Sky Channel 187) that he previously wanted to venture into Nigerian politics but was ‘stopped’ by a state governor who said that he did not like intelligent people, especially those who were as intelligent as Amadi. Has Amadi joined them? The electricity tariff increment could mean that electricity is not for the poor because it may become unaffordable for them.
Nevertheless, we hope that prepaid meters would be installed in several villages due to online complaints. In 2011, the World Bank provided prepaid meters in Nyanya, Karu, Mararaba and Masaka to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria customers but the prepaid meters are not always free. 'A single phase prepaid meter costs N25,000, while a double phase unit goes for N35,000 and a three phase meter costs N55,000'.
Nigerians to pay higher electricity tariff from April 30
Electricity tariff: Adding insult to injury
FG suspends electricity tariff hike
Yar’Adua and the Big Blind Country (BBC)
'Sinners' in the Senate of 'Rogues'
The cost per unit of the 2011 model of the jeep obtained from the manufacturer's website is $100,724 – about N16,115, 840.
The total cost of the vehicles for the 109 senators is put at over N1.7 billion.
—The Nation
These sinators senators have grown wings. Is it not a senate of 'sinners' or 'rogues?' They probably thought that they were elected to feed fat on the poor electorate. A Nigerian senator reportedly earns more than President Barack Obama of the United States and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The senators are already rejoicing over their latest ‘booty’ which is a Toyota Land Cruiser jeep for every one of them at a whooping cost of over N1.7 billion. The jeeps may be delivered this week. The masses are powerless. Non of the senators rejected a brand new jeep. Awon Ole! A lot of Nigerians are poor but Nigeria is not a 'poor' country. If the sinators senators had the opportunity, would they not have bought jet planes?
Chairman Abandons Wife After $40,000 Scam
Jude Nwokenkwo, the chairman of Ehime Mbano Local Government (Imo State, Nigeria) allegedly used his wife’s name to get a JP Morgan Chase bank loan of $40,000 and later abandoned her and their children in the United States. She claimed that the loan was taken without her consent and wrote a letter to 247ureports titled ‘Help! My Husband, Jude Nwokenkwo, [Gov Okorocha's Aide] Abandoned Me And My 3 Sons In USA For 21yr Old In Owerri’. Chairman Jude Nwokenkwo has moved on with a new younger wife by traditional marriage. Chairman, are these allegations true or false? So far, most of the comments on 247ureports are in favour of the chairman who has a successful Home Healthcare business in Chicago.
As a matter of fact, his older brother Emmanuel aka Emma santana Nwokenkwo is a wanted man here in the States, if anyone knows his where about please contact the authorities in the states.
Furthermore, when Jude came back to the U.S in July 2011 for three weeks he wired $8,000 to this younger lady’s account in Naija, l have all the evidence and he also purchased a $2000.00 wedding rings for her, when l confronted him in front of our pastor with all the evidence he have the nerves to say that it was for my birthday….negro are you for real?? Mind you people he never give me that ring.
—Bisi Nwokenkwo
Ukwu Nwanyi Owerri (The Backside of Owerri Woman) by Flavour N'Abania ft Stormrex
