TRIBUNE

Nigerians groan as blackout takes over - We've not witnessed light in 3 weeks in Lagos - Taiwo Alimi; N1,500 spent daily to buy fuel for generator

By Our Reporters - 26.05.2008

THE current power situation across the country is now a source of great worry to Nigerians as incessant power outages have enveloped the entire nation. From the South to the North, East to West, the power situation, is getting worse as many parts of the country are thrown into darkness, sometimes for months.

This has caused untold hardship to many who rely on electricity to get their daily bread. Also, there has been an increase in the crime wave as men of the underworld have been taking advantage of the blackouts to commit their deadly acts.

The supply of electricity in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and its environs is epileptic. The supply has been so poor that people are beginning to believe that Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) is no longer in existence, as many now depend on generator as a source of electricity. Mostly affected are the small scale business people who need electricity to power their machines and engines.

This has in turn affected business and raised the prices of some items within the metropolis and the suburbs. In Garki area and other central areas where most of the offices are located, residents depend on generators for electricity. Most of the time, it is only the most senior officers at the Federal Secretariat that can turn on the air conditioners as the generators available are reserved for them.

A resident of Kado Estate, Mr. Bayo Jimoh, told the Nigerian Tribune that he had forgotten about electricity coming from PHCN, saying "my generator is what I put on daily with petrol worth N1,500. This has adversely affected my earnings, but I don't have any option because of my children."

At the headquarters of PHCN in Abuja, all the officers contacted declined comments on the issue. One officer who pleaded anonymity said "our generation was too low and it eventually affected distribution. What we do is to ration and supply to some areas where it is mostly needed."

Residents of Lagos State are also groaning under incessant power outages in the last one month. According to Nigerian Tribune investigation, some areas in the metropolis had not had power supply in the last three weeks. Mr. Taiwo Alimi, former Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), who resides in Ojodu, said his area had not experienced electricity supply in the last three weeks. "You can see that it is a terrible situation," he lamented.

In Ibadan, Oyo State, investigation by the Nigerian Tribune showed that some of the areas worst hit by the power outage are Basorun, Agbowo, Ojoo, Iwo Road, Felele, Apata, Sango, Ashi, Ring Road and major commercial centres like Dugbe and Gbagi areas.

According to Alhaji Olatunji Akodun, a community leader in Basorun area of Ibadan, PHCN should come out to explain to Nigerians the causes of the persistence power outage.

Many of the artisans, who need electricity for their jobs, were seen playing draughts to while away the time. When the Nigerian Tribune visited the popular Sawmill at Bodija market in Ibadan, many of the sawmillers were cursing the officials of PHNC who had come to disconnect their supply because some of them were owing.

Also, residents at Idi-Ape, Iwo Road, Ibadan, said that officials of PHCN had no moral right to go around distributing bills when they had not been giving them electricity for the past few weeks.

It was learnt that only four megawatts is being supplied to the whole of Ibadan city. The Public Relations Manager for the South West zone, Mr. A.O. Alade, said the outage was caused by low generation problem.

The low generation, he said, was caused by the problem of inadequate gas supply. Residents of Benin City, the Edo State capital, are reeling under the heavy burden of power outage which has now become a regular feature of their daily existence.

Some of the residents who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune described the power supply situation in the state, particularly in the state capital, which is the hub of social and economic activity, as critical and hopeless.

The outcry came just as property worth millions of naira belonging to the PHCN Benin Transmission Region, was reportedly destroyed by the blasting activities of a major construction company.

The Public Relations Officer of PHCN Benin Transmission Region, Mr. Rufus Imafidon, told the Nigerian Tribune that the blasting activities caused extensive damage to lines B5W and B6W on Benin-Ikeja West 330KV lines. Imafidon said this type of damage to PHCN facilities was part of the problems the company was facing in the transmission of electricity.

Electricity supply in Asaba business district of Delta Delta State has drastically plummeted in recent times as the area continues to rely on the only 33KVA feeder from Obosi in Anambra State . Both residents and officials of PHCN in the district believed that only the 132KVA step down in Asaba would bring succour to the people.

Investigation by the Nigerian Tribune showed that the power outage in Asaba and its environment was further compounded by the recent rainstorm which fell 65 concrete poles, 55 of them in the state capital.

The situation has further be made worse by the theft of cables. One of the thieves was caught at Obulu-Uku recently. Towns like Ogwashi-Uku, Ibusa, Ubulu-Uku and Ndokwa area sometimes do not have electricity for two weeks. Electricity supply by the PHCN in most parts of Abia State has been described as zero, irregular, epileptic and frustrating by residents of the state.Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune in Umuahia, the state capital, and in the commercial nerve centre of Aba, residents of the state made up of artisans, businessmen and internet service operators, said that the only time they knew PHCN existed was when the staff of the organisation came to give bills or cut the cables supplying electricity.

Emeka Okafor is a resident of World Bank Housing Estate in the state capital and said that there had not been electricity supply in the area in the past one month. He said the supply came two days ago for about 20 minutes and later went off.

Residents of Bauchi and its environs are at present not finding things easy due to lack of adequate electricity, a development that has made many, particularly artisans, who depend on electricity for their businesses, to abandon such and find other means of livelihood, at least for now.

Checks revealed that after hoping for an improvement in the power supply situation and it was not forthcoming, most of the people interviewed declared that they had resigned to fate and were looking for some other ways to earn a living.

In Katsina State, electricity supply for quite sometime now has been described as very disappointing, as most people rely on generators for their power needs.

Speaking with Nigerian Tribune in Katsina, the proprietor of Katsina City Restaurant, Alhaji Ndanusa Yakubu, said power supply from PHCN had been disappointing as they currently could not satisfy customers.

As residents of Kano complain of erratic power supply, PHCN said the state only got 170 megawatts out of the 360 megawatts needed daily.

Supply of power in recent times has been pathetic as most areas in the state capital have no electricity. Residents of Enugu and its environs are crying over the epileptic supply of electricity. Checks showed that the erratic power outage is common across the state.

Mr. Ignatius Okpara, while speaking on the electricity situation in the city, lamented that he no longer used electrical appliances like refrigerator, and electric cooker due to lack of electricity.

The PHCN in Kaduna said it required 800 megawatts of electricity to satisfy its customers in the state. Mr. Limmy Omar-Ikaige, the Principal Public Affairs Manager of the company, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

He said the company's major challenge was the inadequate supply of the megawatts required for the state. The company's spokesman also attributed the inadequacy of the electricity to high demand, saying "while demand from customers was high, the quantity was low.''

THE SUN

Season of starvation …Nigerians groan under high food prices

By TESSY OKOYE
Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Ismail Olanrewaju, a cobbler, was distraught after buying a loaf of Agege bread and beans, which, for a while, has become a permanent breakfast for him. He was seething with rage because after spending N150 on the food, which, in times past, usually sustained his body through hours of rigorous work, his stomach still rumbled with pangs of hunger.

With his brows etched in annoyance, he wondered aloud about the fate of common men, like him, who have to virtually labour to make ends meet. Then he turned to the reporter and asked in smattering English: "Madam, who really dey responsible for this hunger wey dey kill us small small?" He then walked away, cursing under his breath and pouring venom on the government for plunging the nation into an almost comatose state.

Virtually every nook and cranny of the country is singing such dirge at the moment. Indeed, Nigerians are united in hardship caused by the soaring prices of food. Shine has been rubbed off the face of the masses, who cannot but groan under the yoke of an unprecedented rise in prices of staple food.

From the east, west, south and north, the story is the same. Many have been left to gaze endlessly into space, like people marooned on an island. Hunger is not just staring Nigerians on the face, it is actually giving them hard knocks.

With the on-going global food crisis, a market survey conducted by Daily Sun showed that prices of many food items have increased by more than 100 per cent, and many families are struggling to feed twice a day.

Mostly affected by price increase is rice, a staple food in the country. Some months back, a bag of rice which was sold for N5, 700 now sells for N12, 000. A derica of rice, which hitherto sold for N100 is now pegged at N200. Beans, which is the commonest source of protein, whose bag sold for N9, 000, now costs N16, 500, depending on the type and colour of the one demanded. A derica is now sold for N120, against the former price of N70. Price of palm oil has also risen and, to a large extent, encouraged adulteration of the commodity.

Yam, which could have been a better alternative and could have helped cushion the effect of rice scarcity, is above reach of many persons. A small tuber that can barely feed three, now sells for between N350 and N700 in the market.

The food crisis, which is taking its toll on Nigerians, is sinking its fangs deeper into the savings of the low and medium-income earners. Greater percentage of, if not all of their income, is now spent on food.

For traders, the situation has only further worsened businesses activities that have been at their lowest ebb, which is a fallout of the biting economic situation.

Funke Somuga, a yam trader at Agboju market said prices of yam at major markets, such as Mile 2, have gone beyond the reach of the poor. She disclosed that they buy 100 tubers of yam at N50, 000 and that after adding fares and other miscellaneous expenses, they are forced to sell a tuber for N700 or N800.

"Yam merchants have become lords to themselves. They now call the shots and have become greedy because demand for yam has increased drastically. We have no choice than to patronize them, since we don't cultivate yam, neither are we ready to starve to death. Patronage has also been low, I must confess many people just walk away when they are told the current prices", she lamented.

At Iddo market in Lagos, another hub for food stuff, the traders recorded low patronage. Queue of lorries and trucks, which is the trademark of the market, was also visibly absent.

This, according to the traders, was owing to the drought experienced in the north and the rise in prices of seedlings and fertilizers.

Alhaji Garuba Saheed explained that there are no crops to be brought into the state for onward distribution to other zones in the country.

"Some months back, if you came to Iddo market, trucks would take over both sides of the road to offload their consignments. But now, we virtually wait for anyone who would bring just any food stuff to the market," he said.

Prices of garri, semovita, meat, fish, condiments, and provisions, have also gone up astronomically.
At markets, in Mushin, Idioro, Oshodi and Daleko, traders complained bitterly about soaring prices of food items and said that it has been a factor that has been determining the rate at which they sell to customers.

Though the soaring price of food is not peculiar to Nigeria, as China and other Asian countries that are known to be world producers of rice, are also being hard hit. Many said that Nigeria's over dependence on imported food and subsequent neglect of the country's vast agricultural potentialities have become an albatross.

According to Emeka Odife, an economist, Nigerian leaders are not proactive in their strategies and implementation of policies and this has affected the economy and people adversely. He wondered why a country like Nigeria, blessed with the best weather in Africa, soil and arable crops, is complaining about hunger in the mid of plenty.

"The only way out of the whole problem we have found ourselves is to re-channel funds into the agricultural sector and make the country the highest producer of food and cash crops. That was what earned Nigeria the name, giant of Africa in the past. We have all seen the negative effect of over dependence on imported food. There is no gain in shunning a country's heritage. Agriculture is the only lifeline we have", he reiterated.

Odife's position was shared by many Nigerians who bemoaned their predicament while speaking with Daily Sun. Their words were laced with anger and bitterness against the government and its leaders, who they believe are responsible for the agony they are passing through.

Helen Boniface, a house wife and trader, was sad about the current situation and blamed the Federal Government for deliberately turning a blind eye to the plight of Nigerians. She disclosed that she has virtually removed rice from her family's menu because of its current price in the market.

"The thought of buying a cup of rice for N50, which is almost thrice the former price, is heart breaking. Some months ago, one can comfortably feed five children with N500 and still have blance. The government has failed us. Our leaders are responsible for this hardship. You can imagine five litres of groundnut oil we used to buy for N1, 100, now sells for N1, 300. These days, I am scared to go to the market to make purchases."

Eight-one-year-old Pa Udoka Onwuchekwa feels so distressed about the situation. He is sad that people of e younger generation are made to suffer at a time they should be enjoying. He said he was convinced that the celebration of FESTAC '77, at the peak of the oil boom, plunged the country into the pit of despair. He is, however, optimistic that a miracle is possible only if the country refocuses on agriculture and spiritual cleansing of the land.

"I don't know what the world is turning to. We need God's intervention and deliverance. I remember in my days, the only time we eat rice then was on Sunday. But I am gradually seeing a situation where Nigerians would not even find rice to eat again. We should retrace our steps and find out where we went wrong. Government needs to support local rice production. We need to become self sufficient by providing for our needs locally."

Sharon Okafor, a banker, bemoaned the fate that has befallen most households in recent time. She said she was alarmed when she went to Okota market, and could barely buy foodstuff with the money she had.

"I walked endlessly in the market under the scorching sun. I finally bought few things after haggling and being called names by angry market women. It is only women who feel the impact of food crisis. The men don't even understand what is happening. All they know is for their food to be served on time, even if it passes through the eye of a needle," she said.

Jamiu Giwa, a panel beater, was lost in thought when approached by Daily Sun. The look on his face was that of a confused man. Immediately he was jolted back to reality, he gibberished apologies and delved into tales of how Nigeria's past leaders have succeeded in milking the country dry, leaving the masses to bear the brunt of their actions.

"It is the masses that suffer for their mistakes. Since morning, I have not eaten. Business is very dull. I hold President Yar'Adua responsible for the hunger that is ravaging this country. They know where the problem is coming from, but they are not ready to tackle it. He is the one making us hungry. Our fate lies in his hands. Everything happening now is a fallout of bad leadership. The little money we make is spent on feeding. Tell me my sister, why won't crime rate increase, when able bodied men, like me, cannot provide food and shelter for his family?", he asked.

Worried by the unfortunate situation, Bala Mohammed, a tailor and farmer, bemoaned the fate of ordinary citizens. He disclosed that the tradition of travelling home every rainy season to plant maize has been shelved, as land is no longer productive and prices of fertilizers are beyond the reach of peasant farmers. He said he feels sad that fertilizers, which are meant to be subsidized for farmers, have become a mega spinning venture for government officials.

In smattering English he said: "Usually, I don't miss planting season, but I can't travel this year to Kebbi State because there is no money. The land has become too dry to cultivate and fertilizers are too expensive. Government officials feed fat on sale of fertilizers and there is nothing we can do about it. It has become a political thing. Hunger is becoming so unbearable. Sometimes, I restrict my feeding to once a day because there is no money. Though, I believe in Yar'Adua, the fact that I can't feed three times a day has almost made me to lose faith in him", he said.

The Federal Government's plan to boost food production through the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources with a whopping N950 billion, and its plan to spend N80 billion to import 500,000 metric tones of rice into the country, are also seen by many Nigerians as half measures.

Abosede Ayeni, a vegetable seller, said that though the measures may be hijacked by those who don't mean well for the country, she believes strongly that all hope is not lost, as the yet to be imported rice would go a long way in ameliorating the present situation.

Ayeni also said that the Federal Government should pay more attention to areas where rice is produced in the country and make tools that would facilitate production of the staple available to farmers.

"We cannot blame traders and farmers for trying to be greedy. This is the only opportunity they have to make money, even though it is the masses that are at the receiving end. After all, those who embezzled our money are walking free on the streets. Olusegun Obasanjo is responsible for this particular situation. The fact that he was a farmer and did not change the face of agriculture in this country is a colossal failure on his part. He ruled and left problems for the present leaders. This is the time for the government, market leaders and trade unions to work together to save Nigeria from famine."

End of Fuel Scarcity in Sight -  As the nation groans under the crippling effects of the week-long fuel scarcity

This Day (Lagos)

NEWS
9 April 2008
Posted to the web 9 April 2008
Lagos

As the nation groans under the crippling effects of the week-long fuel scarcity, the end may be in sight with the resolution of the delayed release of the N17 billion owed Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

The association is believed to be behind the current dearth of petroleum products as the marketers failed to lift products on account of the debt. The situation, has however, not eased the long queues at the petrol stations across the country.

This is coming on a day that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the agency statutorily mandated to test and issue quality control certificates for refined petroleum products coming into the country told the House of Representatives that it has no laboratories or equipment to carry out its mandate which has resulted in the over-flooding of the country, with bio-fuels, which is found to be unsuitable for automobiles and dangerous to humans. It was gathered that IPMAN had already directed its 10,000 members nationwide to flock all Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depots and the Nipco depot in Lagos with a capacity of 50 million litres. Alhaji Danladi Pasali, National Public Relations Officer of IPMAN, said in Abuja that the NNPC had told IPMAN, which control 90% of all the petrol stations, that six vessels loaded with 180 metric tonnes of petrol had arrived the Lagos port and would begin discharging the product into NNPC terminals.

IPMAN also assured its Public Relations Officer, that its members would heed the directive. The association's decision to call off what might be regarded as work-to-rule came after the NNPC purportedly gave concrete assurance that it had finalised arrangement to pay its members the outstanding N17 billion bridging claims owed them, which had crippled most of them from loading at far-away depots. The Group General Manager, Public Affairs of NNPC, Mr. Levi Ajuonuma, had announced on Monday that what was being experienced at the petrol stations was not scarcity but a mere "hiccup". This hiccup, he said, was caused by people who bought petrol in their vehicles and offloaded same into jerry cans, then drums and finally into tankers, which they used to dispose of the product.

"With well-armed policemen, we are going on a raid now to bust some of these illegal dumps around the city, so you can see how fellow countrymen have decided to constitute themselves into bottlenecks, to create problems for others," Ajuonuma told reporters in a pre-raid briefing. But when reporters got to the first of the dumps, a massive parcel of oil-degraded land behind Jinifa Plaza in Central Business District, there were hundreds of drums, a few cabs and a tanker with diesel. None had petrol. One other "fuel dump" visited at 14 Alexandria Street behind Barnex Plaza, Wuse II, Abuja yielded only one jerry can of petrol and some diesel while a few jerry cans of petrol were found at the two remaining sites at Wuse II by Texaco and at Area 11. But in Ekiti State, several fuel stations in Ado-Ekiti, still remained shut over lack of the commodity to sell for the public. This was so, as very long queues became regular features of the few ones where the commodity was available for sale.

Besides the fact that the commodity was very scarce, the price has suddenly been jerked up, as expected, where it was available, from the official price of N70 per litre to N75 per litre. It was a different tale in Osun State as the state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday sealed up 16 filling stations in Osogbo, the state capital, for allegedly selling petrol above the original pump price. The commandant of the NSCDC Mr. Sam Ejiofor, who spoke with THISDAY said the NSCDC acted in accordance with the provisions of section 3 subsection 31 of the civil Defence Amendment Acts 2007. In Lagos, residents yesterday heaved a sigh of relief from the tortuous period of fuel scarcity as indications emerged that the DPR has cleared some of the consignments carrying petroleum products offshore Lagos. THISDAY Checks also revealed that the major marketers in the Apapa axis are now lifting fuel to service retail outlets all over the country.

This, move has come with positive impact on product availability, as the long queues that became a familiar sight in the last three days, at the outlets in the state, have reduced drastically as at yesterday.

TRIBUNE

Nigerians groan as cement price hits N2,200 - Affects house rent in Lagos

Dayo Ayeyemi, Lagos - 25.02.2008

BARELY one month after the lifting of the ban on importation of cement by the Federal Government, the price of cement has increased from N1,300 to N2,200, shocking many Nigerians.

According to a market survey carried out by the Nigerian Tribune in Lagos at the weekend, the price of a bag of cement has increased progressively from N1,300 to N1,600, N1,800 and now N2,200 less than 30 days after the granting of licences for importation.

Another major concern is that the prices of other building materials especially reinforcement (iron bar), casings, cement stabilised blocks, granite, sharp and white sand have increased tremendously.

The survey also showed that the price of reinforcement had jumped from N85,000 to N165,000; sandcrete blocks measuring 9x9x18 inches and 9x6x18 inches selling for N70 and N80 as at January 2008 are now N90 and N100.

Also, prices of granite, sharp and white sand and essential materials in the construction industry, have gone up from N24,000 to N27,000; N4,000 to N6,000; and N5,000 to N7,000 respectively.

Casing, a tool for pouring pile foundation in difficult terrain, is not even available in the market.

In some of suburbs of Lagos such as Ajah, Ayobo, Ipaja, Ikotun, Berger and Ibafo on the Lagos-Ibadan axis, the price of a cement bag ranged between N2,100 and N2,250.

An impeccable source from one of the local manufacturing industries said they actually increased the price by N100 and that there was an indication to further increase the price.

The Federal Government, after meeting with cement manufacturing companies last January in Abuja, announced the lifting of the ban on the importation of cement following a shortfall local production.

Justifying its policy reversal on cement importation, Minister of Industry, Chief Charles Uguwh, said the decision was taken because of an annual shortfall of 11.5 million tonnes.

Annual demand for cement is estimated at about 18 million metric tonnes while annual consumption in 2007 was estimated at 11.125 million metric tonnes. Local operators can only supply between six and 6.5 million tonnes.

Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Lagos branch, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, said the situation was worrying and attributed it to hoarding by traders in an attempt to make unnecessary profit out of government's gesture to lift the embargo on cement importation.

He lamented that the situation where a bag of cement was being sold at N2,200 had become unbearable for construction experts.

He said this would cause a lot of dislocations in service delivery, stating that where a company projected for profit, it might record loss caused by the sudden increase in the price of cement.

For existing building, there would not be much effect but owners of new buildings would charge high rents because of the high cost of cement.

Affordable homes scheme being championed by the government may be a mirage after all.

The cost of maintenance of buildings will also increase as a result of the new price regime and in effect affect rents in Lagos and all over the country.