Pete Edochie, the ace actor, has voiced deep concern over Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, revealing the heavy financial burden of securing basic amenities like electricity.
The 78-year-old industry icon shared his frustrations as a guest on the latest episode of AIT’s programme JIGSAW.
Edochie lamented that he spends approximately N40,000 daily on electricity and fuel — a cost he said is deeply troubling.
Breaking it down, the movie icon explained that N10,000 goes toward purchasing electricity units from the national distribution company, N20,000 is spent running a diesel generator, while another N10,000 covers the cost of fueling a petrol generator.
“I pay N10,000 every day in my home. I spend additional N30,000. Spend N20,000 on diesel and N10,000 on fuel. In total, I spend N40,000 every single day for light. It disturbs me a lot,” he said.
Reflecting on the broader national predicament, the actor criticised what he perceived as indifference among Nigerian political leaders toward the struggles of ordinary citizens.
He alleged that some public officials deliberately undermine development in the south-east region, pointing to the neglect of infrastructure like rail transport.
“Nobody seems to be bothered about what is happening to the common man. Why must it keep getting worse in each new day? Can we not improve? There was a time when somebody cut off the Southeast in terms of railway transportation. Why must there be consistency in going backwards?” he asked.
Edochie’s remarks highlight the persistent struggle Nigerians face with inconsistent power supply, a challenge largely attributed to ongoing gas supply constraints affecting thermal power stations.
Recently, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) stated that reduced energy allocations to distribution companies (DisCos) stem directly from inadequate gas to generating plants.
