Omo! Na wetin we don dey hear for Naija power sector be this: Di Bureau of Public Enterprises don yan say we go still dey pay for di free meters wey dem dey install. Wetin dey happen sef?
As e be now, di Federal Government don dey clash with di electricity distribution companies (DisCos) about who go carry di cost of di prepaid meters wey dem dey roll out. Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, talk say make dem install di meters free for consumers but DisCos dey complain say dem no gree.
Gbeleyi, di big man for Bureau of Public Enterprises, come shoot out say di meters wey dem dey install no come free like that o! He talk say di cost go dey embedded inside our tariffs. Wetin dis mean be say, we dey pay small small for di meters through di bills wey we dey pay every month.
DisCos don dey shout say “how we go fit pay for dis meters over 10 years?” but Gbeleyi don clarify say abeg, dis no be true. Di Federal Government dey run one $500 million programme to help di DisCos with infrastructure. Na so dem go take improve di metering situation for Naija, wey sabi say we get more than 5.9 million pipo wey never see light meter for dia house.
Gbeleyi even talk say as e dey stand, dem don already bring over 600,000 meters come di country and don install about 75,000 of dem free for consumers. E make us know say di focus be to cover di wide metering gap wey dey Nigeria.
But wetin DisCos dey shout about? Dem dey complain say di directive from di minister dey chock dem like say dey no consult wetin dem fit do for installation and who go carry di cost. E get as e be, proper planning no dey for this whole saga.
For di matter wey don dey drag, DisCos dey claim say dem no fit handle di cost of installation, and e fit lead to wahala if nobody carry di financial burden. Di minister don talk say make nobody collect money for installation but DiCos dey reason am say still dey get cost wey dem go bear.
Na wah o! Di government just dey come dey promise caliber things wey no fit even happen without enough consultation. As we don see, dem go dey deliver meters in batches but everybody don dey assume say enough go dey for all consumers. Reality don show say e no be so.
We go dey follow dis matter as e dey unfold, because Naija power sector dey grind for dey, and all of us wey dey pay di bills go feel di impact. Who go pay wetin? That one still dey hang like cloud, but we go keep our eyes for ground!
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