“What we find it not to our liking when a comment is made that tends to say that government will shut down if the National Assembly doesn’t do anything. We do not agree with that”, Senator Abaribe.

The announcement by the US President to provide an intervention fund worth $7 billion to seven countries in Africa, including Nigeria, should be regarded as a major embarrassment to this country and a vote of no confidence in our ability to solve the power problem by ourselves.

“Privatisation of electricity distribution in the country will come into effect next January, Power and Steel Minister, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu said yesterday. DAILY TIMES, November 10, 1995.

“The Forum of Commissioners of Finance from the 36 states led by the Chairman, Mr Timothy Odaah, had expressed anger over the unpaid arrears amounting to about N160bn($1bn)”. PUNCH 19, 2013.

Nigerians, for reasons difficult to understand, seem to be totally uninterested in the most important issues affecting their lives; one such is monthly revenue allocation to states. For the last one week, while the focus had been on politics, NGF, PDP etc, the Finance Commissioners of the 36 states had been in a tug of war with the Federal government; which owes them, collectively, about N160 billion.

With flood ravaging virtually every nation on earth where there has been record rainfall, it is important to issue a reminder to Governments and the people of this country that the devastation this year is likely to be worse than what we suffered last year. Read last year’s warning first and wait for this year’s.