Ban of ‘I pass my neighbor generator’, a step in the right direction?

The Federal Government of Nigeria has banned the importation of our dear ‘I pass my neighbor generator’

You will agree that the epileptic power supply in the country has made it necessary for every home to have at least the small generating set pictured above, which is popularly known as ‘I pass my neighbor generator’ by Nigerians.

According to Lagos Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)  Controller Federation Operations Unit Zone, Madugu Sanni Jubrin, disclosed this to newsmen on the 17^th of Nov. stating that the smaller generators have been banned by the Federal Government because it causes air pollution and destruction of our lungs and breathing system.

Reactions upon reaction have trailed social media. Some are of the opinion that the country and her government have not gotten to the point of taking such irrational decision especially when the power situation in the country is still in shambles.

While others see this as the rich oppressing the poor, others wonder how exactly the smaller generating set destroys the lungs while the bigger ones don’t.

Having steady power supply in Nigeria is the right of her citizens, even under this hardship and resolve to provide power individually, the government still finds fault in this. If there was steady power supply, of course no one will spend a dime on ‘I pass my neighbor’ talk more of the bigger ones.

This same government has insinuated that the N18,000 minimum wage might be reduced for state government’s not to go broke. Now I beg to ask, if we don’t have power supply and still have to provide power ourselves, where does the government expect her citizens to get money in order to purchase the bigger and more expensive generating sets? Generators even way more than the country’s current minimum wage….

Is the ban of ‘I pass my neighbor generator’ a step in the right direction?

Talking about reactions to this ban, Viola Ifeyinwa Okolie shared a short story, a story that bares her thoughts. Read below:

“The rich man in his mansion sipping champagne…

The top names are all represented, at least N43,000 a pop.

He doesn’t even drink it all. He could grow weary of the taste of a particular brand, and move onto something else.

Don’t blame him, the champagne was paid for by the blood, sweat and tears of his labourers.

For now, he does not know what it costs to purchase a bottle of champagne, he just takes it. It is there. It is a miracle that he never runs out of it, he does not know what it is like to live without it.

He comes out to his balcony, champagne flute in his hand. Something sparkly, a soft pink hue. As he raises the flute to his lips to sip, his gaze runs the length of his compound and beyond.

What’s that?

In a little thatched hut just off the edges of the mansion, our rich friend’s gateman is squatting beside a fire. Waiting for his wife to serve the day’s broth of meatless, mystery blob.

Meat is a luxury.

Decent accommodation is a luxury.

The only thing that is not a luxury is the sex that takes his mind briefly off his problems, only to create other responsibilities down the line.

This life is hard!

Our friend watches as the gateman lifts a calabash of palmwine up to his lips, these are one of the cheap pleasures of his life. The only luxury he can afford.

Cheap and watered down, it gets the job done anyway.

But our rich friend is outraged. He flings his champagne flute far from him and yells for the guards.

“Seize that man,” he fumes while pointing in the direction of the gateman.

“Take away that palmwine from him. Does he not know that cheap palmwine is bad for the health? True, I cannot pipe water to him. He cannot afford to drink the champagne which is purchased with his sweat, but let us take even this small luxury away from him – it is for his own good”.

Duty done, our friend reaches for another champagne flute, and pops open yet another bottle of champagne.

Life is good.

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News Bite: Nigerian Government bans importation of “I better pass my neighbour” generator .”

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