From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), yesterday approved the increase in electricity tariff as long as there’s transparency and accountability in the process.
NSE also gave reasons why both the Federal Government and state governments prefer foreign contractors to local engineers.
Speaking during an interaction with newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja, the 34th president of NSE, Engineer Margaret Oguntala, said that in some areas, industries are located in the residential areas.
In this case, it becomes difficult to be transparent in billing the two customers equally.
“What should be the actual format? We have the industries. We have the commercial centres. Then, we have the residential areas. But you’ll agree with me that in most settlements you have industries interspersed in commercial centres and residential areas. In sane societies, these are separated so the electricity agency is able to appropriate prices to each segment accordingly.
“Normally the consumption pattern of residential consumers is somewhat inelastic. What they consumed last month is likely to be the same this month. That of the commercial centres is a bit variable. But the industries, most of them run three shifts and they expand at will. In as much as this becomes inevitable, then everything about it has to be transparent.
“There should be accountability. All the consumers must be protected. When somebody is getting more and someone is getting less, there should be immediate actions.
“There must be sanctions for default. Where there’s a shortfall, the distribution companies must be held responsible. What happens during the downtime? All those things must be considered” she said.
On why the governments award contracts to foreigners, Oguntala said that foreign contractors are heavily funded by their governments while indigenous engineers fund themselves.
Construction, according to NSE, is capital intensive and the governments’ requirements are high to the extent that local engineers cannot meet up.
Most of the engineering designs are done by indigenous engineers but when it comes to construction they are left out because of the requirements.
However, the society is appealing to the governments to lower their requirements to enable the local engineers participate.
On Ajaokuta Steel Company, NSE commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his efforts in revamping the industry saying that until the steel industries are revamped the country cannot make any headway in steel and technological development.