AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT- DR GOODLUCK JONATHAN ON THE GLORIFIED PHCN INFRASTRUCTURE

Akin Lawanson

Good day to you sir. I am sorry to barge in to your tight schedule this morning sir. It is due to a matter of very pressing importance. Thanks for your indulgence sir. may God continue to be with us as we move nearer to the promised land.
I am using this medium to communicate to your excellency the extent of damage the epileptic/unreliable power supply is doing to the economy of our dear nation. we all know that stable power supply can actually reduce the contribution of the oil sector to this economy to an insignificant percentage. This is what the nation needs most.
The cost of power has doubled the cost of most things from phone tariffs to cement prices. from the price of a bottle of coke to house rents. Nigerians pay highest for consummables the world over. This is solely because of the unreliable/epileptic power supply which leads to high cost of power for manufacturers. Our per capital income is at an abysmal low, yet we pay astronomical prices for products. From pure water to automobiles.

Sir, what I am earnestly pushing for is the total deregulation of the power sector. We should throw caution to the wind. We should not let anything deter us. for clarity, we may assume we are in the 1870s when the national grid was never heard of. Let us overhaul the national grid.

Nigeria is generating more than 6000 Mw already as generators are humming away all over the nation. What we need is organisation. we are the only nation left in the world as market for portable generators.

The PHCN is one company. They should remain. Much like NITEL is remaining in communications. But we need enabling laws to allow for new investors to come in with their own infrastructure.

States/LGs may come in bringing in new companies as partners. they either bring their own infrastructure or negotiate with PHCN.
Or as an alternative, licenses may be sold to new companies to come in as NATIONAL POWER PROVIDERS. How to generate, transmit, distribute should be their headache. Again they either negotiate with PHCN or bring in their own infrastructure.

IN A FEW YEARS, THE GLORIFIED PHCN INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BECOME ANTIQUATED.

This thing will work. All it needs is will power. It will not cost government a kobo, but will bring more money.

God bless you sir, as we wait holding our breath, in anticipation of the favorable consideration of this proposal.

God save Nigeria.