so as usual, i went online to read the papers and was struck in the face by the following headline attributed to the President on 234next.com:
"Power supply will stabilize when we achieve 40,000 MW".
part of the report acknowledged that as at today, Nigeria is still trying to achieve 10,000 MW of electricity. and so, in my usual nothing-better-to-do-on-a-weekend mode, i went on a research to identify exactly what the problem was with Nigeria and getting power. As you probably already know, each time there is a massive power outtage (massive means more than we already experience daily) the Power Holding Company of Nigeria will take to the media to explain it away by laying the blame on things like "low water levels" and "lack of gas supply". naturally, that indicates that our present power generation system is based on water and crude oil related sources.
so, here's what i found on the internet:
In 1969, the 11,500 MW Kainji dam was inaugurated. Following which the 560MW Jebba Plant, 600MW Shiroro Plant and the 1,320MW thermal station in Egbin were expected to improve electricity supply."
I'll be the first to admit that my mathematics isn't world class, so please correct me if i am wrong, but with installed capacity of all our power generating plants totalling about 13,980 MW, i fail to understand from whence we are still struggling to reach 10,000MW. the "Encyclopedia of Nations" helps to summarize the energy situation in Nigeria best, when it says: "About 40% of the population, and only 10% of rural households, had access to electricity as of 2002". Funny how white people always have more statistics about what goes on in african countries than the african countries themselves, but thats a topic for another day.
and so, mr. president's comments in the papers, left me a little weary of politicians and their ability to act like the messiah in the face of troubling reality. for the president to admit that he is aware of the appropriate power supply levels required by the country is an excellent sign, however that is where i propose that he should stop. i have often said that the easiest way to lose public credibility is to make hasty decalarations in the heat of popular goodwill and fail to follow through on those promises subsequently. just ask Obama about his promise to close guatanamo within 1 year of his winning the election and the backlash of his inability to pass the health care reform within the timeframe he promised.
i was going to start wondering about the many explanations for our epileptic power state when i went back to the 234Next Article and saw this picture:
if this is what supplies or distributes power to me, then no wonder.
but you know, there has to be a silver lining somewhere, so i decided to complete my reading of the article and find out how the president intended to solve the power situation... and thats when i read that president goodluck jonathan said: "we take the matter very seriously. we meet every week to review the situation and by God's grace we will continue to progress bla bla bla". so there you have it fellow citizens, the government is reviewing the situation, and as we all know, at the end of the 'review', they will set up a committee to 'specially review' and make recommendations to government, the committee will then set up a special committee to conduct a referendum and then report back to the committee that will send the report to the president who will forward it to the house of assembly which will pass it to their committee on power who will then set up a sub-committee on electricity to review the report of the presidential committee. and then its time for the next election...
problem totally solved. only in nigeria
i hope goodluck doesn't think that his subtle campaigning isn't going unnoticed. he better watch what he promises, cos we are not our parents...and this nigeria is not stuck in 1967, we are growing consistently intelligent enough to demand accountability.
enough said. have a great weekend peeps...
"Power supply will stabilize when we achieve 40,000 MW".
part of the report acknowledged that as at today, Nigeria is still trying to achieve 10,000 MW of electricity. and so, in my usual nothing-better-to-do-on-a-weekend mode, i went on a research to identify exactly what the problem was with Nigeria and getting power. As you probably already know, each time there is a massive power outtage (massive means more than we already experience daily) the Power Holding Company of Nigeria will take to the media to explain it away by laying the blame on things like "low water levels" and "lack of gas supply". naturally, that indicates that our present power generation system is based on water and crude oil related sources.
so, here's what i found on the internet:
In 1969, the 11,500 MW Kainji dam was inaugurated. Following which the 560MW Jebba Plant, 600MW Shiroro Plant and the 1,320MW thermal station in Egbin were expected to improve electricity supply."
I'll be the first to admit that my mathematics isn't world class, so please correct me if i am wrong, but with installed capacity of all our power generating plants totalling about 13,980 MW, i fail to understand from whence we are still struggling to reach 10,000MW. the "Encyclopedia of Nations" helps to summarize the energy situation in Nigeria best, when it says: "About 40% of the population, and only 10% of rural households, had access to electricity as of 2002". Funny how white people always have more statistics about what goes on in african countries than the african countries themselves, but thats a topic for another day.
and so, mr. president's comments in the papers, left me a little weary of politicians and their ability to act like the messiah in the face of troubling reality. for the president to admit that he is aware of the appropriate power supply levels required by the country is an excellent sign, however that is where i propose that he should stop. i have often said that the easiest way to lose public credibility is to make hasty decalarations in the heat of popular goodwill and fail to follow through on those promises subsequently. just ask Obama about his promise to close guatanamo within 1 year of his winning the election and the backlash of his inability to pass the health care reform within the timeframe he promised.
i was going to start wondering about the many explanations for our epileptic power state when i went back to the 234Next Article and saw this picture:
if this is what supplies or distributes power to me, then no wonder.
but you know, there has to be a silver lining somewhere, so i decided to complete my reading of the article and find out how the president intended to solve the power situation... and thats when i read that president goodluck jonathan said: "we take the matter very seriously. we meet every week to review the situation and by God's grace we will continue to progress bla bla bla". so there you have it fellow citizens, the government is reviewing the situation, and as we all know, at the end of the 'review', they will set up a committee to 'specially review' and make recommendations to government, the committee will then set up a special committee to conduct a referendum and then report back to the committee that will send the report to the president who will forward it to the house of assembly which will pass it to their committee on power who will then set up a sub-committee on electricity to review the report of the presidential committee. and then its time for the next election...
problem totally solved. only in nigeria
i hope goodluck doesn't think that his subtle campaigning isn't going unnoticed. he better watch what he promises, cos we are not our parents...and this nigeria is not stuck in 1967, we are growing consistently intelligent enough to demand accountability.
enough said. have a great weekend peeps...
Comments
Good job.
or when your father calls a family meeting just cos his child has decided to ask government to be accountable?
or......i think you get the point.
really insightful piece.