The protests are not new anymore. I've seen so many of them that it has become normal to expect them and act accordingly.
But we rarely see the ones where they prepare to cook at the front of the company gate like the one on the pictures.
This day last year, I resumed as a BEDC staff, resuming after the muslim holidays that took place on the 6th and 7th day of the month. That was the day I met the great men and ladies I've walked with so far for a year. I say walk cause we've had to do more than work together as colleagues.
Its 10.51am on a thursday morning and work has been grounded by the fellows from Ogbe-Igbuya community of Benin city. They claim to have been changed from a feeder (Resevation/GRA feeder) to another (Evboutubu Feeder) about three years ago. When I say Feeder, I do not mean a baby's feeding bottle. Instead, I mean a source of power supply. This source according to them do not supply enough power to them. Its epileptic they say. They could have about an hour today and then they might not have for the next two days.
I have been to the community. The power available isn't like you have it at Lagos but then, not so good. I spent about four days working on the High Voltage Distribution System project (HVDS project -A story for another day) before I was drafted to complete a section of a report requested for by the United States Trade and Development Agency.
One thing in business I know is that you try to cut down on losses when you are losing big time (and Yes, Our Distribution Company is losing) and as an engineer, you run your system optimally (If a feeder is overloaded and there is another that is working below 50% duty, I would increase the load on that if possible). I do not know what caused the change to the other feeder but I know something isn't right.
I stopped typing about two hours ago to edit some content on the USTDA metering report as Mr Owie, the Principal Manager, Commercial called for me to work on it and send to someone that would verify the contents before forwarding to the MD's Office.
Now I continue. The protesters are still here. Its 12.34pm. They absolutely crashed operations at the Head office for the day. Whew! I'm kinda trapped in here but given that I'm choosing not to eat till evening, It has no effect (Food would have been sourced out there). I get to read. Hmm. Its been a while I sat down to read for a long time. I have two books in my bag. I'm choosing to read one though.
It's called the 'Miracle of Seed Faith' written by Oral Roberts. An old book with some teachings that still stands. So while the protesters are outside, and no outstanding Job to do, this book is going to be the leverage for the moment.
09/10/2015
Did I get to read the book? For a while, Yes. But work came over. First the new payments for meters(A lot of payments this time as people rushed to pay a day before the increase would be formalised) and then the USTDA report again.
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