Category: Opinion

The Economist Magazine estimates that, as at 2019, there were over 100,000 registered tailors in Nigeria. That figure is quite conservative to say the least. There is not much reliable data on the precise number of artisans countrywide. But millions of them, including, barbers, hair dressers, tailors, business center operators, welders, frozen food sellers, carpenters and wood workers, bars and pubs owners, etc, are out of work and finding it extremely difficult to cater for themselves and their families. And the only reason they are out of work is the shameful epileptic supply of electricity in Nigeria.

Yet, instead of working to improve power supply, in the 2023 national budget, N81.7 billion was allocated to the purchase of solar street lights, surpassing schools and primary health centers, which were allocated N77.9 billion and health centers, which got N3.1 billion. Yet these lights die off after a few months. They can’t power anything. Not even a blender or a clipper to cut your hair or a dryer to dry your hair. I do not know how much of that budget came to my senatorial district but I think we can separate ourselves from the pack.

What do I think we can do other than the street lights? I do not have any perfect idea. I am sure that elected leaders were trusted by the voters and do have their own solutions, but there are some thoughts racing through my mind which I will share with you. I am deliberately restricting my suggestions in this article to the five LGAs in Cross River North, where I come from. My only desire and goal here is to see how my suggestions may help to revamp the informal sector, check urban migration and drive investment to our place.

In March 2023, President Buhari signed into law, the constitutional amendment allowing states in the country to licence, generate, transmit, and distribute electricity. Under the Act, states can issue licenses to private investors who can operate mini-grids and power plants within the State. This de-monopolization of Nigeria’s electricity generation, transmission, and distribution empowered states, companies, and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.

The best bet for us from Cross River North is to explore the Obudu Dam Resort. The Federal Government on Wednesday 14th August 2012, at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, approved the contract sum of N1.165 billion, awarded to Consolidated Construction Limited, CCL, for the rehabilitation of the dam, which has a storage capacity of 1.25 million cubic meters and was meant to serve the entire northern Cross River, up to Ikom LGA. But the former Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Stella Ochekpe, was accused of misappropriating the money and she is serving a jail term in Jos.

Our National Assembly Members from the North need to constitute and support a lean technical committee to immediately determine the encumbrances surrounding the project and the possibility and plausibility of intervening to even make the place work partially.

Where that is not possible immediately; the technical team can work with experts to identify an artesian well within the proximity of the dam where groundwater can be harnessed for power generation. In the 2025 budget year, our three NASS Members can then deliberately accommodate into their joint constituency project, the development of a small dam and mini grid that can generate between 2-5 megawatt of electricity from that artesian well. Five megawatt can power Cross River North and energize a designated industrial zone within any of the LGAs in the Senatorial district. Experts say, without corruption and padding, N500 million can achieve that.

The project can be funded from NASS constituency intervention, PPP where citizens will be encouraged to own equity, and private capital. But I do not think that N500million is too much money to raise for such a vital project by our legislators. The generated energy can then be isolated from the national grid and be promptly evacuated to a designated technology hub or economic zone, that will be specially designed and allocated for all those artisans listed in my first paragraph that are currently out of jobs and other private investors who would want to come and utilize the regular power supply for small scale processing of our wasting agricultural produce and other electricity dependent business endeavours.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

Once, I attended an ANPP campaign event in Maidugri as a journalist and was privileged to be in the Governor’s convoy. The Governor then was ANPP. He was in company of a former National Chairman of the party, who was also from the North. (I want to withhold their names.)

While the governor’s convoy was negotiating a wide roundabout in the center of Maidugri, there was a large number of young people running around and selling petrol in kegs. Obviously there was fuel scarcity and black market was thriving. In a later conversation which I overheard, the former national Chairman asked the Governor why he allowed so many people to run around with flammable liquid like that in the center of town? He warned that it was very risky and advised the Governor to do something about it.

The Governor promptly replied in Hausa language that, it was election time and those boys selling fuel are the boys they use to disrupt elections when the need arise and any attempt to remove them from that point during elections will lure them to the opposition party. He said they are easy to procure and dispense and promised the Chairman that, they will be removed after elections, if the fuel scarcity persisted. I speak Hausa fluently so I didn’t need an interpreter.

Let me give you another instance. I have also heard a political office holder from the South say, “Don’t worry yourself Agba, about those complaints. People are hungry, once you send them some money, all the annoyance will disappear.”

These are two actual scenarios that I was able to shovel from my memory this morning to buttress the point that the perpetuation of poverty is a weapon of politicians and political organizations. They create poverty, and weaponize same for their self-benefit. There are well researched theories which have managed to show how politicians create poverty, manipulate poor people for their benefit and clip the poor to remain on the same level over a long period.

Even amongst the people, we have weaponized poverty against ourselves. For most important persons in our lives and families, the comfortable time for them to give money or assistance is, when you want to entertain or when you are grieving. Like when you want to conduct a burial, friends and relatives will spend millions to travel across oceans, and from the cities to attend. WhatsApp groups will open for generous donations. When you are ill or want to start a business or fund education, you will be ignored. We are acquiescing to a vice.

Successive governments have conducted numerous researches on causes of poverty, suggesting various policies, yet there is no political will to implement these policies and ensure poverty is addressed. But the worsening situation in the country is proving daily that, handing out tokens to the citizens like our leaders are doing today will not resolve any problem. It is rather creating a dependent citizenry and escalating an already fragile situation. Political realism should therefore open our eyes to the urgent need for sustainable poverty eradication methods that can enthuse the alienated population.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author,,l Agba Jalingo and does not represent TheLumineNews or its agent.