Grid collapse: Nigerians pay for darkness while cabals loot — NLC blasts power privatisation

…Rejects N4trn bailout for DisCos, GenCos

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

Abuja — The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has blasted the Federal Government implicit Tuesday’s full illness of the nationalist energy grid, accusing it of deliberately engineering the powerfulness assemblage to neglect portion Nigerians are forced to wage exorbitant tariffs for darkness.
In a connection signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, the legislature said it observed “with utter disgust—though not with astonishment — the full illness of the nationalist energy grid today.”

The connection continued, “This recurrent catastrophe is not an accident; it is the nonstop and inevitable effect of a capitalist ruling people that has deliberately engineered the powerfulness assemblage to fail, to loot, and to support the Nigerian radical successful a authorities of perpetual underdevelopment and exploitation. It is portion of the consequences of refusing to perceive to citizens and civic actors, portion kowtowing to the peddlers of neoliberal policies.
“This latest illness is simply a stark indictment of this medication and the full neoliberal, pro-market charade that has defined the powerfulness assemblage since its alleged privatization. The government, hiding down compromised agencies, has erstwhile again demonstrated that it has neither the governmental volition nor the ideological clarity to present unchangeable energy to the masses.
“We authorities categorically that the occupation is not a method one; it is simply a occupation of predatory powerfulness assemblage governance and a kwashiorkor economical model.
“The assemblage is crippled due to the fact that it is tally by a cabal of the incorrect individuals—unqualified governmental cronies and economical buccaneers who spot our nationalist infrastructure not arsenic a instrumentality for development, but arsenic a trough from which to siphon nationalist wealth.
“How other does 1 explicate the scandalous assignment of a erstwhile section authorities chairman, with nary known expertise successful vigor economics oregon engineering, to the pivotal presumption of Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)? This is not an assignment based connected competence; it is simply a governmental settlement, a reward for loyalty successful a strategy that thrives connected patronage astatine the disbursal of merit.
“It is an insult to the quality of each Nigerian and a wide awesome that the regulatory assemblage is designed to beryllium a toothless bulldog—a specified rubber stamp for the profiteering of the DisCos and GenCos.
“The NLC has been made alert of a projected N4 trillion authorities outgo to these aforesaid failed operators. We cull this outright! To descend different kobo of nationalist wealth into the pockets of these backstage entities is an enactment of economical betrayal against the Nigerian people.

“This colossal sum is not meant to ‘fix’ anything; it is simply a expansive strategy to indemnify failure. That N4 trillion is much than capable to statesman a radical, state-driven process of gathering a new, democratically controlled powerfulness assemblage from the crushed up—a assemblage owned by the radical and tally for the people.
“We are trapped successful a vicious rhythm wherever a comprador bourgeoisie, successful cahoots with their planetary concern superior allies, has structured the system to service overseas interests and a tiny section elite.
“The continued illness of the grid is simply a nonstop onslaught connected our nationalist productivity. It kills tiny businesses, stifles industrialization, creates wide unemployment, and inflicts untold hardship connected millions of households forced to wage exorbitant tariffs for darkness.
“The NLC truthful suggests that if the authorities is genuinely funny successful fixing the powerfulness sector, it indispensable archetypal code the nature, character, and capableness of its appointees. Appointing the close idiosyncratic to caput NERC and replacing each cardinal enactment successful the assemblage with proven, experienced, and patriotic technocrats—not governmental jobbers—would beryllium cardinal to reviving it.
“Since authorities claims to person N4 trillion to put successful the sector, we request that these funds beryllium redirected towards a public-led inaugural to physique caller procreation capableness and revitalize transmission infrastructure, alternatively than handing them implicit to the DisCos and GenCos.
“Once again, we telephone for a broad nationalist audit of the full powerfulness assemblage since the failed privatization, and for a cardinal reappraisal of the privatization exemplary itself with a presumption to reviving this captious sector. This has go an urgent imperative.
“The moving people and the suffering masses of Nigeria volition nary longer tolerate this darkness. We volition nary longer judge excuses for a situation that is manifestly man-made...