Businesses and individuals have expressed frustration as the fuel scarcity and persistent epilithic electricity supply continue to impact negatively on the Nigerian economy.
Businesses last week witnessed a slow down on productivity as a result of lost of manpower hour.
Many workers went to work late and some just could not make it to their various offices because of the scarcity of petrol.
John Okukere, owner of a satchet water company said his business suffered serious set back last week.
“For one, cost of production went up astronomically because of the hike in the price of petrol to between N850 and N1,200. I needed petrol to produce the water and yet another petrol for marketing vehicles.
In all these it was impossible to pass the cost on as our customers have already been pushed to the wall”, said John.
He also said, since the segmentation of distribution of power into bands, things have become even more difficult.
According to him, those in the lower wrung hardly get power now, while those in Band A, which the were in lesser bands.
Osaze Goodwin, a barber is ‘luckily’ in Band A, but he far from being comfortable.
“I will load N2,000 now, but in gewbhour it’s gone. This same amount used to last me weeks. And it’s not as if the light is any better. it is just off and on.
I have to raise my charges from N500 to N1,000 to ensure that I remain in business”, said Goodwin.
Kumuyi Ojo, a retired banker sad the combination of the atrocities of DISCOs and petrol marketers is crippling the economy.
“How do you expect a country without reliable supply of electricity and fuel be industrialized? Our leaders know that the root of industrialization is electricity and yet for decades we have played politics with some as important as that.
“We are major producers of crude oil, yet we have become major importers of petrol because of naked corruption” Kumuyi lamented.
An Independent System Operator, ISO, would stand alone from the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN.
In a restructuring exercise the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has ordered the establishment of the ISO, to take over the market and system operations functions of the TCN.
The process is allowed by the Nigeria Electricity Act.
The order was signed by the NERC Chairman, Sanusi Garba and Vice Chairman, Musliu Oseni.
The order stated that upon incorporation of the new entity, the TCN should transfer its system operations licence, assets and liabilities to it.
