ELECTRICITY SUPPLY AND THE INHERENT FRAUD IN RATIONING.

A few weeks back, the minister of power Barrister Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) quipped that some states in Nigeria are already enjoying 24 hours electricity supply.  Though opinion molders have taking him to task saying his assertions were all fallacy. They mused that his appointment does not fit his training. That it is a round peg in a square hole. Wetin concern lawyer with electricity?

My take is that if the minister in charge of electricity says his outfit is supplying 24 hours electricity to some states and the consumers are saying they are not getting that much supply, it then shows there is a mystery somewhere down the line. It is that mysterious ‘disappearance’ of electricity that I want us to look at using Edo State as an example.

It is a known fact that electricity cannot be stored. So as it is generated it is supplied to the consumer for usage. But in Edo State there is a phenomenon introduced by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC  of rationing electricity to consumers. For example, they will supply electricity to a community for 3 three hours and turn off for another 3 hours. Some are could be on a 4 four hours rotation. If you happen to be in these neighbourhoods when the lights are suppose to come on at say 9am and to go off by 12noon, you will notice the promptness and the regularity of the switching off and switching on. This goes to show that the electricity is always available to them for onward supply at the promised time. What this is telling us is that BEDC has access to 24 hours electricity supply from the national source, but choose to buy less and supply to the people on rationing. The little they bought from the national is now shared for few hours to the local consumer. Because, as at the time A is turned off another B is receiving supply.

Fashola was right there is 24 hours electricity supply but companies like BEDC has chosen to short change their costumers by undersupplying them due their gross inefficiency.

BEDC should buy enough electricity and truly supply the people with 24 hours electricity, supply them with meters and let the people pay for their fair consumption. The economy will grow and BEDC will be profitable. What BEDC is doing right now is pure economic sabotage.