Corruption Is Not Our Biggest Problem In Nigeria

Nigerians need to stop falling for the propaganda that corruption is our biggest problem. This is a lie. Corruption is not our biggest problem in Nigeria.

Our unitary system is the biggest problem. Corruption is only a byproduct of the unitary system. Let me explain what I mean using electricity as a case study.

The reason why we do not have regular electricity in Nigeria is not that of corruption but because of the unitary national grid system. The national grid is expensive to build and expensive to maintain, therefore making the entire business of power generation and distribution unprofitable. It is an unnecessary wasteful way to solve our electricity problem. With the present unitary national grid system, we might never have regular electricity even if we pump in $1billion into the sector yearly.

Corruption or no corruption, we cannot solve our electricity challenges as long as we maintain a national grid and the federal government, together with its regional monopolies continues to withhold exclusive right over distribution.

There are more than twelve states that I am sure of that can have the regular supply of electricity once we put an end to the national grid system. Lagos state, for example, has the resources, manpower and whatever to give Lagosians 24/7 power supply. The reason why it cannot do it is not that of corruption but because the Constitution will not let it do it.

If every Nigerian state had the autonomy to generate and distribute electricity since 1999, I am sure by now, we will have up to ten states celebrating 24/7 power supply. The reason why not even a single state can boast of 10/7 power supply is that the federal government is in charge, not corruption.

There are over thirty communities in the Niger Delta that has 24/7 electricity! Some have had it like that for over three decades. I have lived and worked in more than six of such communities. The only reason why those communities have uninterrupted power supply is simply that they are not connected to the national grid! That is exactly what Nigeria needs to do.

If oil companies operating in the Niger Delta can give over 30 communities free uninterrupted power supply for over three decades, have you not wondered why Nigeria cannot give at least just one city (not state oh) uninterrupted power supply for just one month? Can't you see that something is wrong with Nigeria?

And oh yes, there is more corruption in the oil companies/sector than there is with the federal government, yet it does not affect their progress and operations.

This is a simple truth. Our feeding bottle unitary system is our biggest problem, corruption is only a byproduct of the skewed system.

If you are so much interested in fighting corruption, then you must first attack its root cause which is the unitary system.

I can give other examples of how the unitary system is affecting us in other sectors, but let me stop here for now.

Corrupt Peter Odili and Onanefe Ibori built three mega power plants in their states but they could not distribute electricity. Corrupt Rotimi Amaechi challenged the corrupt GEJ on the issue of distribution and failed. Seeing the frustration in the electricity business, Amaechi decided to sell all the power plants built by his predecessors and disappeared with the money. There was no sense in building new plants or maintaining what you cannot hugely benefit from.

Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State is about to sell the power plants built by his own corrupt predecessors too.

Let us continue to fight corruption and ignore the root causes of corruption.

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