Roving Informant Dialogue, First Edition!

If the present administration in Nigerian must succeed all hands in the cabinet must be on deck to strategically map out feasible ways to effectively tackle the so many challenges currently facing the country. 

Foremost among these challenges is the lingering sparse Electricity Supply, sending out obnoxious PHCN bills to the masses and on the other hand making the process of obtaining the Pre-paid meter a herculean and discouraging task, leaving people at the mercy of paying increasing bills without a corresponding increase in electricity supply. 

Welcome to the first edition of the Roving Informant Dialogue, where we take on issues that confronts the Nigerian populace, with the hope that those in the position to effect changes where necessary will stumble on these and effect required change(s).

This edition critically analyse the (Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)'s recent increased tariff despite poor electricity supplies, and the on-going debate on redeeming  the =N=5,000  to the unemployed and the poorest youths in the country. 

Scene: Crowed gathered at a newspaper stand in a popular area of a major city.

Free reader 1: Good morning vendor, what is in the news today, any thing of interest? 

Vendor: Nothing much from the usual around here, but there appear to be a debate on whether this government should redeem their promise to pay =N=5,000 each to every unemployed Nigerian youth, also the increment on the phcn billing.

Reader 1: Picks a copy of one of the dailies and goes through the headlines...

Reader 2 (Baba): A much advanced retired civil servant who makes it a point to stop at the newspaper post every morning to read about happenings in the country, he is given the special consideration for 'free reading' because Baba can not afford the =N=50 often charged on the 'free readers association'.

Baba: Interrupting abruptly, What type of people do we have in our government? which phcn wants to increase tariff, and over what? I have not had light consistently for the past 2 days, and by the end of the month, they will bring an exact amount as they do on every occasion, it doesn't matter if there is light or not. 

Reader 1: Baba you are talking of not having light for two days, you live in paradise nah, in my area, we have not had light since last week, we power ourselves with our "I better pass my neighbour generator", a few days back some phcn officials came around to fix the transformer which blows up every now and then, yet I bet you when the bill comes out by the end of this month, we will be billed the exact amount as when they managed to give us light for a few hours a day.

Readers 3 comes along, a young man in his 20's:These people should pay up the =N=5,000 they promised us, a promise is a debt. 

...Laughter...

Baba: Young man, the way I see things, those of you banking on that allowee should look for something better  to do because if it is these people that are after increasing the electricity bill on an almost 'zero-supply' situation you are hoping to give you that money, I pity you. 

Reader 3: Which electric bill them wan increase? on top which light?       Their fada....

Vendor: The government is saying there is no money, maybe they want to raise some funds from you people nah...(laughs). 

Reader 1: They cant be serious, but you have a point you know....they have hinged their inability to carry out any major project on ...no money....they say the last administration looted the country's past, present and future....sighs.

Baba: That is what every new government says, I have never seen a situation where the past administration says that they met money in the treasury, both at the state, federal...even local governments...peharps  vendor is correct, maybe they want to raise some money from your tariffs...But is it the unemployed youths, retirees without pensions and very poor majourity that they are banking on to pay the tariffs, people that are anticipating =N=5,000 allowance from the government? 

Readers 3: Maybe they want to give us the money so we can use it to pay for the increased phcn bill...they cant be serious, me wey I don plan my share siiiince...

Reader 1: Vendo how much am I owing you now? by the way, here is =N= 100 for 2 days, I will see you later, I have to run along now, I have a job offer some where.

Vendor: No problem my brother, I pray you get the job. see you tomorrow.

Dialogue Copyright: Oby Denis