The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Oru in Imo State, Rt. Rev. Geoffrey Chukwunenye, has called on the federal government to review the entire power concession agreement and restructure the system if it intends to give Nigerians improved power supply.
This is just as the Prelate has said that Nigerians were not strictly resisting the increase in electricity tariff by the federal government but the fact that they have been paying for darkness.
Presenting his presidential address/charge to the 3rd session of the 4th Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Oru at St. Thomas Church, Omuma, Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State, Chukwunenye said the solution to the numerous problems facing the power sector would never be solved by increasing the tariff.
According to him, “The price of any product in the market depends on its availability and packaging. Nigerians are not strictly resisting increase in power tariff but the fact that they have been paying for darkness. It is clear cases of dishonesty in the sector, notwithstanding that some of those who have the prepaid meters are complaining that the installations are manipulated to over-bill and defraud them”.
His opinion for tariff to be increased; the government should deploy standard calibrated prepaid meters to customers.
He expressed worries that Nigeria is still ranked as one of the strikingly corrupt countries in the world under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, who took the anti-corruption fight as one of his foremost core mandates.
According to him, corruption, which is responsible for governance failure in Nigeria, had created massive unemployment and worsening insecurity in the country.
The prelate also said that ethnicity, religious sentiments as well as weak security systems have contributed to the high level of insecurity in the country.
He gave his opinion that the government should embark on a development paradigm which would create an economy with relevant social, economic and physical infrastructure for business operations and industrial growth to provide gainful employment, functional and useful education and quality health care for the people.
