Jonathan, let there be light...

Power Minister, Prof. Barth Nnaji, will never cease to amaze me. He has gone on air many times to tell Nigerians what the Federal Government is doing to ensure stable power supply in the country. Ironically, after making promises, something must go wrong.

I was not surprised when, last Monday, the Chief Executive Officer of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Akinwunmi Bada; Market Operator, Uzoma Achinanya and Executive Director, Human Resources of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Olusoga Muyiwa, were sacked by the minister for offences bordering on inaction, incompetence, marginalisation of part of PHCN workforce and creation of industrial harmony. But is that the solution to the perennial power outage in the land?

The Federal Government promised to generate 5,000mw in 2011 but only 4,420 was achieved. It also promised 6,000mw for this year but this has dropped to a ridiculous 3,200mw. The situation is so bad now that light does not blink in many parts of Lagos for weeks. Nigerians will know that Nnaji is working as soon as light is visible in the house and not how many times the Power Minister is seen on television, announcing increases in power generation. I reproduce below an article I wrote on May 29, 2010 on electricity crisis in the country.

TAKE it or leave it, he is the luckiest Nigerian. As a man of history, his metamorphosis was greater than that of the Biblical Joseph. At least, Joseph suffered for 13 years and even went to prison before going to the palace. From being called a prisoner, he became a Prime Minister and dominated his environment for 80 years. But, his story was slightly different because Joseph still had King Pharaoh who was senior in rank.

In 21st Century Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s case is a story of glory to glory.

He was first known as a Deputy Governor 11 years ago. On May 29, 1999, he was sworn-in as the deputy governor of Bayelsa State alongside his boss, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

I remember an event that happened in 2001 when the House of Assembly Complex was bombed. I went to Yenagoa, the state capital, for an on-the spot assessment and I was at the Government House to see Alamieyeseigha.

Seated not too close to him was this amiable and gentle deputy who was always ready to carry one file or the other to his boss for verification and approval. Since then, Jonathan has been referred to as a Governor, Vice-President, Acting President and President.

No living or dead Nigerian has ever had these five positions attached to his or her name. So, obviously, the coming of Jonathan has a divine colouration, a spiritual dimension, an omnipresent backing.

If there is any Nigerian who does not believe in God, I think this is the time for him or her to repent because the God who did it for Jonathan is capable of doing it for you.

Let somebody shout Halleluyah.

Today is Democracy Day. It is not the first time it will be celebrated. Some don’t even believe that May 29 is the real Democracy Day. They strongly believe it is June 12. Whether it is May 29 or June 12, at least, we are celebrating our hard-earned democracy (I don’t know if that is true) today and it won’t be the last time. Unfortunately, it is the same ritual every year and Nigerians are tired of this.

Even as we celebrate today, Nigeria is in darkness and I am not sure anything concrete will be done to remove Nigeria from the list of countries in perpetual darkness before we celebrate our 50th independence on October 1.

The history of electricity runs right from the period before Christ up to the computer age of today. It will be an understatement to say that electricity has become an integral part of our daily lives. Electricity is crucial to our existence as human beings.

Electricity is ubiquitous and, according to one of my friends, it is called power because it is power. Without it, you are powerless.

I am sure my readers are using electricity at this very moment. Some are even reading this column electronically.

Nations and individuals sacrificed their time and resources to ensure that the world becomes a better place today, using the instrumentality of electricity to change the course of living.

If the topic borders on its invention, a good mention must be made of people such as, Benjamin Franklin, Thales of Miletus, William Gilbert, Otto von Guericke, Robert Boyle, Stephen Gray, Charles Francois du Fay, Benjamin Franklin, Ebenezer Kinnersley, Pieter van Musschenbroek, William Watson, Michael Faraday, Henry Cavendish, Luigi Galvani, Henry Cavendish, Luigi Galvani, Girolamo Cardano, Volta (after who the unit of potential difference has been named as ‘volt’ in his honour) and Thomas Edison.

In this modern age, it is unfortunate that Nigeria has been turned to a dumping ground. Instead of improving on our generation and distribution capacity, we are daily opening shops for generator distributors.

Nigerians now use and sell generators 24/7 and it is like the government is helpless. There is no day I don’t use generator in my house. In fact, it is that bad that before leaving the house, my children will ask me: “Daddy, is there diesel in the house?” After answering yes, they will still insist: “Daddy, are you sure?”

While other countries are busy strategising on how to improve on power generation and distribution, we are practically sleeping.

The population of the United States is more than 300 million and it generates 995,000 megawatts. China, with a population of 1.5 billion, generates 775,000; Japan, with 129 million people, generates over 300,000 megawatts, Britain, with a 70 million population, generates 80,000 megawatts; South Africa, with 47 million population, generates 45,000 megawatts; and Nigeria, with a population of 150 million, generates less than 4,000 megawatts.

New York City alone in the U.S. has 12 operating power plants and ‘God’s Own Country’ is planning to increase its megawatts to 1.069 million in 2015 and 1.082 million in 2020.
Let me give the readers more statistics.

In 2008, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 11,040 kWh, an average of 920 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month. Tennessee had the highest annual consumption at 15,624 kWh and Maine the lowest at 6,252 kWh.

In 2007, about 526 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity were used for lighting by the residential and commercial sectors. This was equal to about 19 per cent of the total electricity consumed by both sectors and 14 per cent of total U.S. electricity consumption.

Residential lighting consumption was about 215 billion kWh, equal to about 15 per cent of all residential electricity consumption. About 311 billion kWh was consumed for lighting by the commercial sector, which includes commercial and institutional buildings and public street and highway lighting, equal to 23 per cent of commercial sector electricity consumption.

Appliances account for 64.7 per cent of electricity consumption in the average American household (2001). Refrigerators consumed the most electricity (14 per cent), followed by lighting (9 per cent).
There are about 5,400 power plants in the United States. A power plant can have one or more generators, and some generators may use more than one type of fuel.

In 2008, the average nuclear power plant generated about 12.4 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh). There were 65 nuclear power plants with 104 operating nuclear reactors that generated a total of 808.97 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), or almost 20 per cent of the nation’s electricity.

Thirty-six of those plants had two or more reactors. The smallest nuclear plant has a single reactor with 476 MW of generation capacity and the largest has three reactors with a total of 3,825MW of capacity.

The United States started somewhere and using the Roman Empire as a good example, the U.S. is busy inventing one thing or the other to ensure that what happened to the Roman Empire does not happen to it.

In 2004, I was in Ethiopia for a week. Aside tourism and a few resources, the country cannot be said to be rich or naturally blessed like Nigeria. For the whole week, there was no power outage.

That is Ethiopia of all countries. In Nigeria, millions have been turned to children of darkness because they are perpetually in darkness. And for those who can afford to buy generators, the noise can be crazy. When are we going to start the process that will turn Nigerians to children of light?

Years ago, a friend told me how he ironed a shirt for three days. It was on a Friday and he had a job interview for Monday. He was ironing the sleeve of his shirt when the then National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) struck. The next day, he wanted to complete the task when they struck again. He was happy when he completed the task on Sunday.

Now that we have the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), have we witnessed any improvement? I doubt it because Nigerians go through hell everyday.

Jonathan has an onerous responsibility to ensure that something positive is done to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians in this direction. Even if we are going to take our eyes away from past mistakes, this is the time for us to start from somewhere.

The President can re-create our world and effect positive changes because it is his responsibility as the Commander-in-Chief to do just that.

In Genesis 1:1-3, the earth was full of darkness and in chaos. It was barren, without form, no life and it was darkness unlimited. But, God, the Commander-in-Chief of heaven and earth, said “Let there be light.” Immediately, there was light.

Nigeria is in that state now: without form, void, chaos and darkness everywhere. Collectively, Nigerians are saying: “Jonathan, let there be light”.

If the will (this is very crucial) is there, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, there will be light.