Before Blackout Becomes Our Trademark

BEFORE BLACKOUT BECOMES OUR TRADEMARK

     The Nigeria’s power sector is presently yearning for rescue that if drastic measure isn’t taken, soonest the country won’t only reckoned to be synonymous with blackout but a place invariably used as a case-study whenever non-electricity supply is being discussed.

     It’s indeed worrisome to acknowledge that in spite of the intimidating size of Nigeria, both in landmass and population of over 160 million individuals, she’s currently striving toward boasting of steady seven thousand megawatts (7,000MW) of electricity supply, whereas nations like Ghana, South-Africa, Iran, South-Korea, among others alike, that aren’t up to 60 million people on the average, presently boast of over fifty thousand megawatts (50,000MW). Such shocking phenomenon calls for thorough examination in the country’s power sector.

     During the past administration, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s particularly, the Power Reform Act was introduced, which was aimed at boosting electricity supply. In addition, the then existing National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) was changed to Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) owing to concession. National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) was equally initiated. Piqued by the epileptic power situation, Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, on assumption of office in 2007, lamented that the government under Chief Obasanjo squandered about $10 billion on the NIPP with little or no effect.

      On power sector alone, the administration of Chief Obasanjo reportedly spent $16 billion approximately equivalent to #3.52 trillion, his successor Late Yar’Adua expended $5.375 billion (#1.183 trillion), whilst immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration spent $8.26 billion (#1.817 trillion). In a nutshell, if comments of past Nigerian leaders are anything to go by, the country, in the last 16 years, spent about $29.635 billion amounting to #6.52 trillion on quest for steady power supply.

     It would be recalled that during Dr Jonathan’s reign, the distribution section/phase of the power sector was totally deregulated, thereby leading to Public-Private Partnership (PPP); a measure that Nigerians thought would salvage the power industry. It’s worth noting that the power sector comprises three major sections (phases) namely: the generation, transmission, and distribution sections. These three phases collectively contribute to the production of the two hundred and twenty Alternating-Current Voltage (AC220V) required by electricity consumers in Nigeria.

     Despite all these measures, rather than improving, the country’s power sector remains in a comatose state, or even deteriorates on a daily basis. The various distribution firms, instead of concentrating on how to serve the teeming consumers, end up compounding the already existing plight. At the moment, an electricity consumer in Nigeria, regardless of locality, would be faced with a utility bill even though he never enjoyed any power supply in the past; one might begin to wonder where such bill was fabricated.

     The problem with the Nigerian power sector remains lack of technical know-how cum initiative as well as decay in maintenance culture. Most times, the personnel at the generation phase would inform Nigerians that the supply of gasoline has depreciated owing to the ongoing pipeline vandalism caused by the various militant groups. Suchlike report is no doubt, to say the least, ridiculous and laughable in a country like ours that can boast of so many sources of electricity generation in abundance. Frankly, over-dependence on mono-source is really telling on the Nigerian economy at large, not just in the power sector.

     A few of the country’s mineral resources alone, such as coal and what have you, can generate enormous electricity required by the overall Nigerians. Similarly, biomass and wind-power, which are renewable and reliable energy sources, if properly harnessed, can generate electricity that can serve the entire Nigerian population. Biomass can either be used directly via combustion to produce heat, or indirectly after converting it to various forms of biofuel. Its conversion to biofuel can be achieved by different methods broadly classified into chemical, thermal, and biochemical methods.

     Besides, why is solar energy in abeyance? Most western countries like Germany that cannot boast of a steady fifteen degree Celsius (15*C) depends mainly on solar energy as regards power supply let alone Nigeria that can steadily boast of over 30*C. The country is abound with the four energy sources mentioned so far; the resources are there lying fallow. Our duty is to harness them; all the government needs to do is to create an industry that would produce the required facilities, and such approach cannot be actualized without lifting embargo on PPP.

     Above all, considering the ongoing power generation via turbine or hydro-plants, there’s compelling need for the government to decentralize the transmission grid. Rather than sustaining the national grid, since it’s obvious that such sustenance is cumbersome, each region or zone ought to be entitled to a transmission grid, thereby easing the maintenance cost. Such approach won’t only reduce cost, but would equally boost adequate and steady power supply across the federation. The private sector must also be given a room to key in; the various established private transmission grids such as the Power Geometrics situated in Aba, Abia State invented by Prof Bart Nnaji needs to be encouraged effectively.

     Summarily, before blackout becomes our trademark, the Ministry of Power must be mindful of the needful. Think about it!

 

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)
-ICT/Engineering Consultant, Researcher, Blogger, Analyst & Activist-
Founder/CEO, Docfred (Nig.) Ent. - Owerri
____________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
http://frednwaozor.blogspot.com
Twitter: @mediambassador        

      

INEC and the Electronic Card Reader

INEC AND THE ELECTRONIC CARD READER

     The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can currently boast of the use of Electronic Card Reader otherwise known as ‘Smart card reader’ during elections in Nigeria. Since the inception of the INEC in the Nigeria’s political terrain, the leadership of the institution had been working assiduously toward ensuring that the country could boast of a credible and fair election. This may be the reason the former Chairman of the commission, Prof Attahiru Jega thought it wise to initiate the Smart Card Reader prior to the last general elections, which has been in use till date.

     Though Prof Jega may have succeeded in coming up with a novel idea by introducing the aforementioned gadget, it’s worth noting that the current boss of the body, Prof Mahmood Yakubu has an enormous task ahead of him towards ensuring that the said laudable invention wouldn’t end up being a curse in disguise.

     It’s not anymore news that the ongoing use of the device in question has been bedeviled by several shortcomings to include malfunctioning, inadequate power supply and what have you. The INEC, inaugurated in 1998, has since inception encountered too many controversies and predicaments in the run up to elections in the country, most notably the April 2007 and 2015 general elections respectively; the ongoing challenges faced by the use of card readers seem to have added to the numerous plights of the commission.

     A Smart card reader is an electronic device that reads smart cards such as the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card and Voter’s card, as the case may be. There are so many forms of smart card readers used for different purposes. In the banking industry, we have smart card readers that read the ATM cards. But here, we’re concerned about the electoral smart card reader. The electoral smart card reader is a portable electronic voter authentication gadget, configured to read only the Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) issued by the INEC.

     The device, which displays the authentic information of the prospective voter via the use of fingerprint, was designed specifically for the accreditation process or authentication of eligible voters before voting. The machine is usually configured or programmed to only read the PVCs of a particular polling unit as well as work only on election day(s). The card reader has obviously helped in confirming the eligibility of the prospective voters. It has equally assisted in checking excesses as regards double/multiple registration.

     Among all, it enables the electoral exercise to be carried out faster since it can accredit as many intending voters as possible within a shortest interval; suffice it to say that it saves time. In addition, it enables the officials of the INEC to conduct the election easily or at ease unlike the manual system whereby the personnel would be required to put in or exhaust all their energies, thereby creating room for effectiveness and efficiency. This implies that, if properly utilized, it warrants the electoral umpire to engage fewer individuals or ad-hoc staff for any incoming election. Hence, the card reader isn’t just labour effective, but equally cost effective.

     Although the benefits inherent in the use of the smart card reader cannot be overemphasized, it’s worthy to acknowledge that the challenges that accompany it cannot be overlooked if truly we are concerned about embracing a society that can wholly boast of free, fair and credible polls. It’s not anymore news that, while in use, the card reader has reportedly malfunctioned in various quarters across the federation ever since it came into existence in Nigeria, thereby making the INEC officials in charge of the concerned polling units to resort to manual voting.

      To this end, there’s need for creation of a special technically-inclined unit within the INEC quarters. Such unit/department to be manned by an expert must contain all it takes as regards servicing or sustenance of the said gadget. The unit would go a long way to eradicate ‘fire brigade’ approach, which isn’t unusual in the Nigerian society. It would as well help to create a mobile technical committee that would monitor the functionality of the card readers throughout any election as well as ensure that the various polling units involved are well equipped with the needed materials including electricity supply gadgets prior to the election. There would also be need for the unit to be more concerned about providing special electronic chargers or charging devices at the various voting centres so that the card readers wouldn’t need to depend on power supply as long as the voting lasts.

      Above all, there is need for the device to be manufactured in the country henceforth. There are capable hands that can actualize it; all the government needs to do is to empower them via the proposed technical unit. We can’t continue to import what we can produce, especially at this moment we are concerned about diversification. I therefore call on INEC to embrace the fullness of technology so that the awaited society would be embraced soonest. Think about it!    

 

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-ICT/Engineering Consultant, Researcher, Blogger, Analyst & Activist-

Founder/CEO, Docfred (Nig.) Ent.
_________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

http://frednwaozor.blogspot.com
Twitter: @mediambassador        

Payroll Palaver and ICT Perspective

PAYROLL PALAVER AND ICT PERSPECTIVE

     The last time I checked, the Nigerian civil service system was deeply bedeviled by a cankerworm known as ‘ghost workers’. The syndrome, which isn’t peculiar to the federal level, is indeed ubiquitous that no certain level/unit of government is exempted whenever its scourge is being discussed. Funnily enough, the anomaly has lingered that anyone could insinuate that it’s a norm.

     Two months ago, precisely on Thursday 5^th May 2016, during the meeting between federal ministries and Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) in Lagos State as organized by the Minister of Information and Culture – Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun categorically disclosed that the ongoing #165 billion monthly salaries cum allowances of federal civil servants was over-bloated, thus could no longer be sustained by the Federal Government (FG).

     Mrs. Adeosun who was speaking on the economy reform agenda of the present administration, stated that the said fund represented about forty percent (40%) of the total spending made by the FG. According to her, the figure was outrageous; hence, government was pursuing aggressive measures towards detecting as well as prosecuting ghost workers and other saboteurs in the system. She landed with a mind-boggling revelation that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), which wasn’t fully functional, still had names of about ten thousand (10,000) workers on its payroll regularly serviced by the FG’s coffers.

      In a related development, barely few weeks ago, over a huge sum of #4 billion fraud was reportedly discovered in Aso Rock, the Nigeria’s seat of power. The discovery was made by President Muhammadu Buhari’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Major Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd). Aside his alleged shocking discovery, which was made after a general security auditing and verification exercise ordered by Mr. President, the NSA further disclosed that  names of twenty-nine (29) ghost security personnel had been on security payroll in the Presidency over the years.

     The various states and LGAs across the federation aren’t exceptional. On Thursday 26^th May 2016, the Bayelsa State government said it had uncovered payroll fraud in the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), with the discovery of over 765 illicitly employed teachers in the existing eight local government councils in the state. According to the report, names of fifty (50) dead teachers were equally found on the payroll of Ogbia Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) alone.

      It baffles me that at this age, Nigeria is still lagging behind as regards Information and Communications Technology (ICT). We can’t continue indulging ourselves in retrogressive issues in an era when ICT or Hi-Tech has succeeded in simplifying everything, or unraveling every mystery related to information. Most times I wonder; is it that Nigeria cannot afford the services of ICT, or that she can’t boast of or source for the required ICT personnel?

     The answer, of course, is No. Nigeria can afford all of the above. Her plight ab initio, has been lack of orientation and corruption. The people she had had in positions of authority refused to be convinced that ICT is the only way forward concerning the lingering payroll palaver in the country, perhaps owing to lack of political will occasioned by corruption. However, we are intensely glad the current administration apparently detests corruption profusely.

      Now that the President Buhari – led government is interested in getting it right, it must acknowledge that obtaining a comprehensive database for all the federal workers is long overdue. Such measure can only be actualized via a forensic approach. To this end, a special unit/department must be created by law under the Ministry of Finance. The proposed unit is subject to be manned by well qualified and reliable ICT experts; and no one ought to have access to the department, except its staff and the director/HOD.

      Additionally, an agency comprising thoroughly scrutinized individuals ought to be set up by law to monitor or oversee the day-to-day activity of the department. The agency would ascertain whenever a worker dies or retires, as the case may be, among other likely events, and thereafter ensure that the record is duly implemented by the unit. Moreover, from time-to-time through their oversight functions, the federal legislators should invite the members, particularly the chairman, of the agency to keep them abreast of happenings.

     For the above unit to function tactically and properly, every federal MDA must equally boast of a competent and reliable ICT unit that would regularly update the former, or the umbrella body, on matters relating to employment, death, retirement, expulsion, retrenchment, or what have you; the said agency would assist in monitoring the genuineness and adequacy of the aforementioned cooperation. For efficiency’s sake, the unit must engage a viable and reliable software consulting firm toward ensuring holistic update of its software maintenance.

     The above measure ought to as well be replicated on the part of payment of pensions and gratuities. And, the various state governments should endeavour to borrow a leaf from the overall proposed approach. Let’s embrace ICT now, to enjoy forever. Think about it!

 

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)
-ICT/Engineering Consultant, Researcher, Blogger, Analyst & Activist-
Founder/CEO, Docfred (Nig.) Ent. - Owerri
____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

http://frednwaozor.blogspot.com\
Twitter: @mediambassador