My people, e be like say another wahala don show for our power sector o! Na this Adebayo Adelabu, wey be Minister of Power, dey talk say make all di prepaid meters wey we sabi collect no cost again. Wetin make dem make dis announcement? Na because dem want make electricity billings fesh fesh, abi wetin?
But my pipo, DisCo operators no gree jare! Dem dey talk say this one na just political talk wey no get any substance. Dem wan make us believe say everything go dey free, but wey all di cost wey go dey follow? E be like dream wey no go fit come true, as dem talk say DisCos go still dey pay for di meters under 10 years! Make I ask, wetin be ‘free’ if you still wan pay in installments? E get as e be.
During one big meet-up wey dem carry Adebayo go Lagos, e talk say nobody suppose collect money for di meters. Him clear am say even if na indirect installers, dem no go fit demand anything. But e no talk wetin go happen to di people wey dey install di meters! Dem don already dey vex sey who go pay dem if customers no pay.
Again, some operators yarn say di government no dey reason well. Dem dey ask sey if dem expect DisCos to carry di full load of di ‘free’ meters, wetin go happen to dem? Dem say dem no be meter people; dem dey run di business, and no be their responsibility to take all di costs. So why government go dey talk about free meters without involving dem?
Another person join talk say, “E no fair at all! How dem go expect us to distribute di meters, and at di same time, cash out for di installation? Our business go suffer if we dey pay for everything at once.” Dis na valid point as DiMeter Asset Providers (MAP) scheme, wey suppose dey help people buy di meters, go soon fall hand if people begin dey see di free meters hype too much.
The conversation wey dey happen now na like di usual Nigerian gist – everybody dey talk, but who dey listen? Dem dey fear sey if government no clear things well, people go just dey wait for di free meters wey no fit reach dem. How government wan handle di situation wey go put everybody for ground, we no sabi yet.
Some operators dey privy in a way say dis free meter wahala go affect di current MAP scheme wey allow people wey dey want buy di meters go for am instead. Di minister no come sit down with di meter providers before e run mouth, and now everybody dey suffer di consequences. Dem don dey shout sey di government should come clear di air and make sure sey people no go dey feel mislead about dis free meters situation.
The DisCos don dey urge government make dem dey always talk di truth jare. Dey no wan make di public vex more, because di current situation dey already get people angry. People dey complain o, sey dem no wan hear about free meters wey go make dem still come out cash for MAP. Na serious matter!
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
