Why there is no Light

By Babatunde Raji Fashola

To all those who daily engage me on the power situation in their respective places of abode and their experience with the Discos on ‘ crazy estimated Billings & power outages’ , here’s the best explanation for you;

“In 2011, Jonathan sold our electricity distribution licenses to incompetent companies that have no experience on electricity. When the then Minister of power; Prof. Barth Nnaji advised that it was not a good decision, he was sacked immediately and replaced with Prof Nebo. You remember?

This contract of sale of the electricity distribution licenses were made irrevocable but renewable. To this end power became privatised since 2011.

When this government came on board, it discovered that the DISCOS were not ready to render services but to reap and recoup their investment capital immediately. The government could not repudiate the contracts because of the irrevocability clause and the doctrine of sanctity of contract. The hands of government became tied.

Then the blame is on government because the masses are unaware that power like telecommunications has been privatised by the PDP. They sold the licenses to their girlfriends and cronies that were hitherto into fast food business. The DISCOS started disconnecting communities from the the supplies in the name of estimated bulk billing system.

This government stepped in and went out of its way by providing incentives such as duty waivers and credit facilities to the GENCOs. This was done to boost power generation which was less than 3000 megawatts at the time Buhari took over. Today, power generation is over 7000 megawatts!

There is electricity but the distribution is the problem. The DISCOs are not ready to provide pre-paid metres, transformers amongst others to consumers. The estimated billing system and bulk billing system are frauds.

In 2022, the licenses of these capitalist rapists will become due for renewal and they are already shivering that this government will not renew that stupid contract that kept us in darkness.