It is a wonder that the crippling activities of the Abuja Electricity Development Company has not yet attracted the ire of the authorities in Aso Rock even as residents of Abuja braces for more unrelenting spells of darkness.
9 am, Tuesday morning, in the city of Abuja. Hammed had just arrived at the office, having rushed from the house to try to beat the deadline to submit his work for the week; as he sat at his desk ready to commence the process, AEDC struck! Oh, Ghosh, Hammed exclaimed. This was too much for him to bear; he had rushed from his house, where there was no light, to his office, where he thought there would be light so that he could work, but now, nothing for him. Hammed would now have to wait for endless hours, praying that the light be restored within a reasonable time. Knowing how the AEDC operates, that would be for eternity! The AEDC, known as Abuja Electricity Development Company, was set up to manage electricity distribution in Abuja and make life bearable for the residents, but to date, the journey has been horrific in every sense.
It is as though the AEDC management has no template and guidelines for operations. In decent climes, announcements would be made before light seizures and the time of restoration inclusive. All of them will be done within an acceptable timeframe. But here we have an organization that relishes in unannounced protracted seizures of light, frequent disruption of smooth activities and programs, and without apologies. Even those armed with generators and Solar are not spared; with eyes red, they spend double, trooping in and out of petrol stations buying fuel to power their gensets! The ones with Solar changing their burnt-out batteries because the product has been stretched beyond its limits! If this is happening in Abuja, where all the egg heads and power brokers reside, it is unthinkable what is going on in the states. The residents are ready to pay for a frequent power supply, but where is the supply? And this has been the practice since anyone can remember.
The belief is that because there is no stiff punishment and stomach for improvement by the relevant authorities, the practice thrives. Who is worried? Hardly anyone; Nigerians, unfortunately, are culpable, since they can afford anything—huge generators, solar systems, inverters, they are less perturbed, forgetting that the future generation of Nigerians must have a decent environment to live! This destructive practice of the AEDC management is leaving many observers wondering about their mindsets. You imagine it: A company is set up to provide essential service for the people; the company is funded and decent minded persons are appointed to run the establishment; then, the next shocking development is for those same people to see the company as a veritable platform to lunge the city into darkness and further their interest.
This must be the thinking of the officials because there is no sane reason for protracted seizures of light, throwing a whole city into darkness for days! Can anyone imagine this happening in places like Dubai, where you have the Burj Khalifa, the highest building? Can anyone imagine this happening in a place like Saudi Arabia, where they are now planning to build a 156-story tower? How come the management of AEDC does not see beyond their shores? They cannot separate short-term and long-term goals? How can Abuja operate high-end facilities and boast of being among the comity of developed nations? Is this not troubling to AEDC management that Abuja may never be like ordinary Dubai if this terrible practice continues? It is not about criticizing what you do; it is about taking a look at what you are doing, whether it is right or not! Does it not occur to AEDC management that their actions speak more of their depravity at this time? Causing frequent damage to electrical appliances, quickening the death of otherwise hopeful patients in the hospitals, harming productive processes, and stymying development in crucial departments in both the private and public sector?
These are bundles of questions for them to answer if they have any iota of conscience left. Abuja cannot meet up necessary standards with this erratic behavior of AEDC; they have to ask themselves questions why the daily blackouts; Is the government not providing money to buy spares? Are broken down transformers not replaced? What is the root cause of this daily embracement? And why should the management remain in place if they cannot step up their standards? Is it morally right to live with daily stigma of blackouts? These are crucial questions begging for answers. What is the relationship between government Renewed Hope Agenda and frequent disruption in power supply? Can they not imagine the huge profits they will reap if the reverse is the case? And has it not occurred to them what the massive jump would be amongst industrialists and Manufacturers if they turn a new leaf? These are otherwise simple questions that are begging for answers.
For now, the sprawling city of Abuja is being turned into a dark bastion of discomfoirt; night life is grinding to a halt; people can no longer sleep at nights; the fear of insecurity is real and this is no joke; someone has to step up and call this bluff; Abuja cannot be turned into a village; there must be justification for the huge amount of money budgeted for these amenities; there should be accountability and transparency; well, maybe we are crying more than the bereaved, but governance is for all, not for select few. Consideration should be given to those who cannot afford alternatives power source. they have to charge their phones; they have to watch and listen to news and they can’t; it is not right! Abuja should be protected and returned to its pride of place. On the other hand, no one knows how AEDC relates with the management of TCN; they have to close-study the manner the TCN has managed the affairs of electricity transmission; that is worth copying.
TCN management has shown competence in the discharge of their duties; its public affairs department continually informs Nigerians about the state of things unlike AEDC that keeps mute. Unless the AEDC wants its acronym to be changed to “Abuja Electricity Destructive Company”, why not! So painful to be watching an interesting programme only for the light to be yanked off! No sooner you put on your generator, then a ding-dong affair ensues: the light is restored and switched off almost immediately you put off your generator, leaving you exasperated. Few minutes later, the light is “flashed” and once that happens, know that darkness will reign for the next 24 hours if not more! What is more baffling being why AEDC officials are not worried about this negative development.
The so called strategy they came up with classifying some parts of the city as “Band A” and others as “Band B or C” has only worsened the situation. Whereas those in Band A gets regular supply, those in Band B, C suffers from protracted darkness. This is not right and efforts should be made to correct it. If they can’t, provide steady electricity supply, then there is reason to have their license revoked and more serious minded people be given the opportunity to remedy the flaws. This is what disturbed Hammed that he felt sore and regret. On that day, Hameed completed his work three hours late and behind schedule! All thanks to the troubled AEDC upside down erratic schedule!
