Light Don Go Scatter: How Thugs Are Putting Nigeria in Darkness

Photo: Africanhealthreport.com

My people, if you think our electricity supply was bad before, just wait until you hear this one. The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) don drop one bombshell announcement that go make you weak. They say thugs and area boys don dey attack their workers, and if this wahala no stop, we fit see serious power cuts across their coverage areas.

The Wahala Wey Dey Ground

YEDC officials don talk say their field workers dey face serious threats and physical attacks while trying to do their job. These workers na the same people wey dey fix our transformers when they spoil, read our meters, and make sure say light dey reach our houses. But now, some misguided people don turn them into targets.

The company talk say if this attacks continue, they go get no choice but to reduce their field operations. You know wetin that one mean? Less maintenance work, slower response to power outages, and generally more time wey we go dey sit for darkness.

How This Thing Dey Affect Our Daily Life

Abeg, make we talk am as e be. For Nigeria, when light no dey, everything just scatter. Small businesses wey depend on steady power supply - from the mama wey dey sell cold drinks to the tailor wey dey use sewing machine - all of them go feel the heat.

Students wey need light to read for night, parents wey need fan or AC to make pikin sleep well, even the barber shop for your area - everybody go feel am. And no talk of hospitals and clinics wey need constant power to save lives.

The worst part be say many people don already invest heavily for generators and solar panels because of our power wahala. Now imagine say the little improvement we been dey see go backward again because some people no get sense.

The Economic Angle Wey Dey Pain

For business side, this matter serious well well. Manufacturing companies wey don dey struggle with high cost of diesel for generators go face more pressure. Some of them fit even close shop or reduce their workforce.

Think about all those phone charging businesses, cold room operators, and other small businesses wey depend on electricity. If YEDC reduce their operations, these businesses go suffer, and more people go lose their means of livelihood.

Even for the big picture, foreign investors dey always look at infrastructure stability before they bring their money. If they hear say even the people wey dey provide power dey get security problems, you think they go still invest?

Why People Dey Attack Electricity Workers?

Now, make we talk the real talk. Some of these attacks fit dey happen because people dey frustrated with poor power supply or high bills. But attacking the workers no be the solution at all. These workers na ordinary people like us wey just dey try make ends meet.

Some of the attacks fit also come from people wey dey steal electricity and no want make anybody disturb their illegal connection. But this kind selfishness na wetin dey spoil things for everybody.

There might also be cases where communities no understand certain policies or changes, and instead of proper dialogue, they choose violence. This na wrong approach entirely.

Wetin We Fit Do About This Mata

First, communities need to understand say these electricity workers na their friends, not enemies. Instead of attacking them, make we dialogue with them and their company about our concerns.

Government at all levels need to provide better security for these essential service workers. If we no protect the people wey dey provide basic services, how we wan get development?

YEDC and other distribution companies also need better communication with their customers. Many wahala dey start because people no understand policies or feel say company no dey listen to their complaints.

The Way Forward

This mata na serious wake-up call for all of us. We cannot allow criminals and misguided individuals to destroy the little progress we don make for power supply.

Communities wey dey experience power problems should channel their complaints through proper means - community leaders, customer service centers, or even social media. Violence no be the answer and e only dey make things worse for everybody.

We also need stronger partnerships between electricity companies and local security agencies to protect workers while they dey do their job.

As we dey talk this matter, make we remember say steady electricity na one of the basic things wey we need for development. If we allow thugs scatter the small progress we don make, we go just dey go backward while other countries dey move forward.

The time don reach for all hands to be on deck to protect our essential services and the people wey dey provide them. Because at the end of the day, when light no dey, everybody - rich or poor - go sit for darkness together.