IS there any right-thinking Nigerian with discerning mind who still strongly believes there is nothing in a name' Is there any sane person who still believes no significance or importance is attached to names' Is there any able-bodied human being with all the essential thinking faculties embedded in him who still thinks names play no particular roles in the lives, times and destinies of human beings, animals, plants, objects, institutions, buildings, vehicles, electronics and even non-living things'Going memory lane, in Yorubaland for instance, the people attach profound importance to names. The Yoruba cherish their names and they can go to any legal extent to protect their names if anybody attempts to do anything capable of rubbishing such names.It is for this reason that naming ceremonies are celebrated amidst pomp and pageantry among Yoruba people. After the successful delivery of the innocent baby, his parents immediately start thinking of the name to give him on the naming ceremony day when well-wishers would be around to celebrate with them. This is why Yoruba people, from time immemorial, would carefully and painstakingly look inwards bearing in mind the myriad of issues - historical, evidential, real, imagined, circumstantial or even accidental, before arriving at the names to give their children, especially with the hope that such names would have direct or indirect effects on the lives and destinies of such children in future.There is an adage in Yorubaland that says quite explicitly thus: Ile lanwo kato somo loruko (You have to look inwards (home/family) before naming a child)Experienced elders in Yorubaland have explainerd variously that the name of a child usually determines whether the child would become responsible and successful or irresponsible and unsuccessful in future. It is a case of morning is reflection of what the rest of the day would look like. And so, as it is the case with names, could this also be applicable to public organisations in Nigeria' Is this why a very important government outfit which for many years has been charged with the sole responsibility of providing electricity for domestic and industrial consumption across the country has always performed not only below expectations but also woefully'What could have been responsible for this poor and highly deplorable performance over the years by this organisation in spite of the whopping funds injected into it every year' Could this unsatisfactory performance by this organisation, as well as the employees' poor attitude to work and corrupt behavioural traits be traced to the funny and unrealistic names the organisation was christened at various times since it was born'Initially, when in 1950, the colonial British administration was in control of affairs in Nigeria, the organisation was named Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN). There is no doubt that since the colonialists were then in charge and corruption had not reared its ugly head, the performance of ECN was not as poor and unimpressive as it has been with those of its successors.Years later, the name was changed from ECN to National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) which due to its unsatisfactory performance, was named Never Expect Power Always (NEPA) by the generality of Nigerians.During the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, the name of the organisation was again changed from NEPA to Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria (PHCN). One of the reasons given by government for the change in name was that the organisation would be reformed to provide consumers efficient and satisfactory services.But it is saddening that in spite of the change in name from ECN to NEPA and from NEPA to PHCN, the organisation, which is solely responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Nigeria, has proved beyond any reasonable doubt over the years, to be a monumental corporate and national disaster that has continued to dash the hopes of Nigerians.It is for this reason that Nigerians have continued to wonder why government continues to change the name of the organisation. Is the organisation jinxed' Does the name of the organisation have anything to do with its performance' Even if the name of the organisation is good, what of the behavioural traits of its employees and their declining levels of commitment to work'There is no doubt that the different names of the organisation have so far had no positive bearing on its delivery of services to consumers over the years. It is common knowledge both within and outside the country that PHCN is the second most corrupt government agency with the poorest and most unsatisfactory services delivery.PHCN is a shame to Nigeria and Nigerians. Its epileptic power supply record is worrisome and remains the main reason for Nigeria's rising underdevelopment especially judging by the virtual collapse of the manufacturing sector which has led to relocation of frontline manufacturing firms to neighbouring countries with more favourable operating environments.PHCN employees are naturally corrupt and lazy. They are wicked. They are not committed. They are not dedicated. They are not honest. Like their counterparts in the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies, they are extortionists. They have great delight in disconnecting electricity lines.It takes consumer donkey years to get electricity meters even after payment. Meters are never read unlike what obtains in civilised climes but bills are prepared to make consumers pay for electricity not consumed.An attitude of a typical PHCN worker to duty is appalling and condemnable. Most of the employees are unfriendly to customers. Customer relations culture is pathetic.Due to negligence on the part of PHCN workers, many people have died having stepped on live electricity wires. Some have had their houses, shops and other valuable property burnt due to erratic power supply. Same applies to destruction of expensive electronic appliances. All these avoidable losses are without compensation since PHCN cannot be sued by anybody. This aspect must be addressed urgently especially with the coming on board of the successor-companies taking over very soon from PHCN.As it obtains elsewhere in the civilised world, companies whose workers' negligent attitude to work led to the death of any member of the public or the destruction of valuable property, can be sued with adequate compensation paid if found guilty.Perhaps if this arrangement had been in place, PHCN would not have gone away with all the atrocities it has so far committed which had brought sorrows and incalculable losses to a lot of hapless electricity consumers.This is the time to put an end to the tales of woe consumers have been subjected to in the hands of PHCN.The Federal Government's on - going efforts to cleanse PHCN must be pursued vigorously and without fear or favour. The government should not be afraid of the threats emanating from those benefiting from importation and sale of generators, as well as members of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) whose selfish interests have been frustrating plans by successive administrations to sanitise the entire power sector for the overall development of the country.The government must remain undaunted and undeterred in this regard. The power sector is the engine room for socio-economic and industrial development of the country and government should stop paying lip service to it.Plan by government to subject all PHCN staff to compulsory biometric data verification must be religiously implemented. Employees opposing the plan have hidden agenda. It is a fact that this system will finally reveal the actual number of PHCN staff lawfully gainfully employed across the country. More importantly, it would expose those ghost workers collecting monthly salaries for doing nothing. Some of the ghost workers are dead but some notorious characters still collect their salaries.This is why the verification exercise is being resisted by PHCN staff but government should not be intimidated.Nobody, no matter how highly placed, can be above government. All the bad eggs in PHCN should be flushed out while those guilty of corrupt practices should be penalised to serve as a deterrent to others.Those disengaging from PHCN should, however, be paid their entitlements without any delay. And finally, the successor-companies must be alive to their responsibilities by providing hitch-free services at reasonable and affordable rates to consumers of electricity across the country.
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