The release, the other day, of 248 overtime containers housing vital power equipment, after 11 long years at the ports, shows not only the extent of Nigeria’s dysfunction, which, unfortunately, has wreaked havoc on national development, it is an advertisement of gross irresponsibility and unseriousness in high levels. That such critical power equipment imported 11 years ago, precisely in 2004, meant to remedy the worsening electricity situation in the country, was trapped or abandoned at the ports, without the slightest care by those who should, is scandalous and condemnable.
If the equipment had been cleared and utilised as planned, perhaps, there would have been some improvement in the nation’s power supply. Nigerians, therefore, deserve a thorough investigation of what happened, and as necessary, the authorities should punish those responsible.
The current Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo who made the disclosure of the eventual release of the containers which were abandoned at different ports and port facilities, said, quite expectedly, that the irresponsible act certainly stalled a number of power projects across the country. Precisely, the trapped containers stalled 11 power projects including the Ikorodu/Odogunyan/Shagamu project and the supply of transformers and capacitor voltage project to the power stations.
The minister moaned that as a result, a number of the power projects have been abandoned for years and said that but for this new intervention, the containers could have remained at the ports forever and nobody would have bordered. That being the case, his commendation of the Customs and Excise Department for facilitating the release of the containers would seem misplaced.
After all, according to reports, the same Nigeria Customs Service that facilitated the release of the containers was the agency that repeatedly refused to release them to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) over the years, on the excuse that the containers were imported by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The same kind of reason is at present stalling the completed Geometric Power Plant at Aba from taking off. The PHCN and the TCN, both belong to the Federal Government. If the PHCN was unbundled and handed over to the TCN, the assets and liabilities of the former company automatically turn over to the new outfit.
By the way, the unbundling of the PHCN was merely completed last year. But the containers in question arrived 11 years ago, when there was no TCN. What then prevented the containers from being cleared since 2004 when they arrived? It is on this ground that a thorough investigation should be instituted to unravel the mystery surrounding the containers.
It is unfortunate that only cargoes imported by government are abandoned at the ports as overtime containers. Virtually all the ministries, departments and agencies of government import goods from time to time. But regrettably, the responsible government officials who effect the import transactions are only interested in immediate personal gains and care little about whether the cargoes eventually arrived or cleared on arrival. The situation is compounded by the frequent changes of personnel whereby, a minister who did not handle the import transactions often feels no obligation to ensure continuity in what his or her predecessor did. The losers, of course, are the Nigerian people whose money is wasted and who get poor or no service from their government.
There is no doubt that the issue of power has remained one mighty obstacle to Nigeria’s march towards economic development. Mass unemployment compounded by inability of citizens to set up or successfully run small businesses as a result of poor power supply is killing a nation with perhaps the world’s greatest potential. Nigerians indeed are living in the throes of ineptitude in government. There is need for greater diligence in government which successive ministers of power have not shown. What were they doing when the equipment imported by the ministry to remedy the embarrassing power supply situation were left at the ports?
Nebo deserves some praise for taking the initiative to ensure that the containers were released. But that is just one step. He should ensure that the equipment are delivered to the power plants and utilized promptly or appropriately. There is no doubt that with regular power supply, a lot would change and the country’s economy will receive a new lease of life.
