Letter: Sixteen year of PDP is enough and no more

 

Dear Editor,             

In the front page story with the headline “Nigerian firms, others to import coal from South Africa for power generation: in The Guardian, Friday, August 15th, 2014, Ade Ogidan (Business editor) reported that “some industrialists and electricity generating companies have started initiating moves to import coal from South Africa. This is to enable them to switch over to coal-powered turbines” in order to generate electricity because of “the frustrations being experienced by the operators in getting gas to fuel their respective plants” And he added that “the parlous supply infrastructure has compromised distribution of gas to various plant requiring the commodity”

This is putting the cart before the horse (generating plants now and gas distribution later). These ought to be done simultaneously. As you build your generating plants, you build your gas distribution network or infrastructure. Things are becoming unbecoming in Nigeria, too strange. It is the fault of sixteen years of PDP that created this problem and it is time to say. Sixteen year of PDP is enough and no more. We are careless of our gas reserves potential. It is shameful! We are careless of our coal reserves potential. What a shame! Our rivers are untapped for electricity. Our gas is untapped for electricity. Our oil is untapped for electricity. Our coal is untapped for electricity. It is a disgrace! It is a shame! Nigeria is in great trouble.

Nigeria is where everything exists in abundance and nothing in actuality. It is absurd for Nigeria to import coal. It is also not right that we are unable to bring about the distribution of gas to various generating plant. The problem can be simply stated that Nigeria possesses much natural resources, but that natural resources are inefficiently used or not used at all. There is one task that is common to all human societies, that is, the task of so ordering our life that our potentialities maybe realized, and not perverted into instruments of self destruction. To me, all the stakes are still on the board, and we can take them up at anytime we please. Whatever was done, and done badly, can begin all over again. Philosophers and scientists can remake Nigeria.

Omohakpor Enaye writes from Oleh, Isoko South, Delta State.