SOPULU AND THE POWER COMPANY (SHORT STORY)
Sopulu was bone-tired but she had one more chore to perform before hitting the sack. She went to the fridge in the dining room, pulled out the pot of yam porridge she had made that afternoon. She had hoped to refrigerate it for the children’s breakfast the next day. But power had been out for hours and she knew it would go stale if she didn’t warm it.
After adding some water to the food in the kitchen, she lighted the cooker under it and stretched out on the sofa in the living room. She had no intention of stirring the food. In a short while, she would switch off the cooker and go to bed for some overdue rest. The time on the wall clock in the living room was 10 p.m.
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Sopulu stirred. She had had a restless nap. Quick time check on the wall clock: it was already 10:30 p.m. Why am I still in the living room? As she grabbed her rechargeable lamp and headed to the corridor leading off the living room, she perceived a strong smell. The smell of burnt food? No, the smell of burning food!
“Oh, no!”
She ran to the kitchen and put off the gas. Then she opened the pot to let the smoke out of the darkened mess within. She pushed the windows ajar too.
“What in the world will I give the kids for breakfast?”
She was too tired to worry about it. What was it the Bible said? “Let tomorrow take care of itself.”
As she entered the bedroom, light flooded the room. The electricity supply company had restored power!
“God will punish you people! You’re gallant at sending outrageous bills but your service remains temperamental.” Do not swear! It shall be well.
-The end-
Ⓒ Edith Ugochi Ohaja 2017
What’s your experience with the power company in your area? Hope it’s nothing like Sopulu’s.
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You may also like these other very short pieces of fiction:
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So she didn’t shout “up NEPA”. Anyway, my area enjoys about 18 hours everyday, except when there is a minor fault. I guess you should relocate to Lagos. **Winkz**
Looks like you want to rechristen me to Sopulu. I like my name oh! Anyways, you mean Baba and Fashola are working in your side? That’s good to know. Bless you, Peter!
I can soooo relate to this story, power supply is really unreliable in this country. cheer up Sopulu, Lets keep praying and hoping for a better Nigeria
That would be my advice too. Take heart, Sopulu! Lol! Looking forward to seeing you, Chioma!
Very nice short story about everyday life in Nigeria. It’s even worse for a working mother with kids and husband to care for.
Keep it up ma’am.
Yeah, just like Sopulu. I pray the various sectors of our economy get the overhauls long overdue for them. God bless you!
Perfect timing for the power company to restore the light. It turns out it is a daily event for them. May God help us!
Amen oh! You’re blessed, Favour!
Hahahaha, I was once in her shoe and I cursed the power company the same way. The issue of light in Nigera is nothing to write home about. May God help us.
It can really get on one’s nerves. I pray that the leaders receive wisdom to revamp the sector in Jesus’ name.
I feel Sopulu’s pain o.Power supply in Nigeria is indeed as frustrating as anything can be. When you need the light they’ll swear they’ll never give you and just when you’ve trekked over how many kilometers to charge your phone at a friend’s house the wicked people will then decide to restore power.mtchewwwww. Let them kukuma eat their light abeg. Anyway,it’s a beautiful instance of typical nigerian life.Great job ma’am
As in eh! Sometimes, it seems. as if the taking and restoring of light is planned to inflict pain. Hope these stories will be considered apocryphal in the near future. I can’t stop praying for that day.
This power company guys have first class in disappointing someone eh,when you need light they won’t bring it.That is Nigeria for you sha. Thank God for Sopulu’s faith in God’s word. Tomorrow will definitely care for itself.
Amen and amen.
Hmm! In life one has to manage, especially in our country Nigeria where the standard of living is poor unlike foreign country where there is an unlimited power supply. Nice one Ma!
But how long shall we remain backward like this? These things are not impossible to come by with the resources the country has. May God help our leaders to run the system right and save us from unnecessary suffering in Jesus’ name.
I have always longed to see the day that we will have unlimited power supply in this country. The power companies in Nigeria are so frustrating that sometimes you would have to curse them in order to vent your frustration. Anyways, it is a good thing that Sopulu didn’t let that to worry her.
I must the cursing thing happens far too often when it shouldn’t even be part of our speech as believers. May God help us to manage our anger better in Jesus’ name.
The state of power supply was really bad in my area until now. The power company has stepped up a bit. It’s kind of okay recently. Sopulu did well in telling herself that cos truly, it shall be well… Great piece, Ma!
The cost of supplying yourself with power if you must is too high. May we see this plague arrested without delay in Jesus’ name.
Really this can be annoying. Mostly when you need it at that particular time and it doesn’t come.
I wonder what you do then. Are you tempted to swear like Sopulu? Lol!
Hmmmm this power supply of a thing is one thing I don’t trust here in Nigeria although there are other things but that of Nepa as we call it is very annoying you know why because they always come in middle of something when you need the power the most,but there is nothing we can do about it the only thing left to do is to pray for better government and we as youth should work harder so we do make a difference.God bless naija
Amen oh! I too pray, “God bless Naija well well in Jesus’ name.”
It’s going to be well” Sopulu said but in my case it’s well already because there have been improvement in my area concerning electricity,it will also be good if there is more improvement. Bless you ma.
That’s good to know. Hope everyone has a nice story to tell on this soon. I mean, they collect our money, like all the time.
The electricity issue is not funny. You can see how Sopulu reacted and it can happen to anyone, especially when you want to iron your clothes and there is no light. After you must have taken it to the laundry, then they restore the power. Something has to be done…
Frustrating, yes! No wonder she cursed. But we have to pray and hope for better times ahead. God bless you, Sampson!
I usually don’t like washing the “back” of pots, so this made me a lot more comfortable with the hot plate and electric cookers until it taught me a lesson. I just got back from school and I was so hungry. Of course, there was light and I began cooking. Funny enough,I did not go for the lighter 5-minute meals like indomie, I went to make jollof rice and beans oh. NEPA just dey look me with one eye. Halfway into the meal, they took light!! and I had no alternative. I had given my kerosene stove out the previous week. I felt foolish. Lol!
After that day, I learnt that while cooking with electricity, you should keep your second option really close! You never can tell with these people, and they keep switching names, NEPA,PHCN,EEDC! What’s all those ones for? It’s not like there’s any notable improvement oh!
At least, in your own case, it wasn’t a near fire disaster. Actually, wasn’t that the thing that burnt down Aja Nwachukwu hostel or something close?
YOU can imagine that! Power supply companies in Nigeria are not trying at all. I really empathise with Sopulu. But then I believe that things will change for good sha.
I pray so too oh!
This is exactly how NEPA do treat us. They will now bring light towards the time they are meant to bring the NEPA Bill.God will help us
Gosh! Anty Edith, to be sincere, I can’t stop laughing my heart out. This is very hilarious. Honestly, the Nigerian power companies are not doing well at all. Imagine in Calabar, during my two months I.T; it was expected that there should be constant electricity supply in the station I was working with. Due to this, the station decided not to get alternative means, just in case. But of course it happened. Just in the middle of broadcasting a worthwhile event, the owners of the power decided to take what belonged to them. You could imagine reactions trailing immediately. This should really be worked on oh
Hahahahahahaha.
Imagine expecting power just to Iron one’s clothes only to get disappointed and forcefully commanded to go to church with rumpled clothes. Na my case be that oh!
I pity Sopulu, she ‘ll start all over again to prepare another meal. it’s soo annoying how electricity is our major problem in this country! Assuming there was light she won’t hv bothered warming the food till the nxt day because obviously she was tired already and needed rest.
power supply is not encouraging. It is only when they know it is time to bring electricity bill that they bring the light.
complaints aggravate issues ooo… in my area they are not consistent except its time to bring the bill, and trust the neigbourhood , most people cut their connections themselves and fix it back when the dust dies down. its not fair but what can one do except to continue hoping.
Choi! Your neighbourhood people eh! Hmmmm….
Power supply in our country is something that is soo unpredictable like the weather to the extent that they restore it when it is least expected, when one must have sought for other alternative to turn to. At times when it manages to come, it won’t last for a long time for it to serve the required purposes..
I just wish the Govt would look into that to ensure that there is adequate power supply.
A good one… Well done ma
Power supply in Nigeria is really frustrating i wound not blame sopulu for swearing. they always give you the light when it will be of no use to you at that point in time. And you really can’t help but swear. atimes i wonder if they are just by the corner watching when you want to do something tangible with the light. how they operate in my area is once they notice the time that most people must have gone to work or school they bring it and when its getting close to evening that people will be returning they will take it. so sometimes for one week you might not see light but they do bring it when you are not around. And you will be wondering whether they are witches and wizards.
Lol!
Lol.. What a comic relief. The part where the food burnt was hilarious. And for Nepa, what a perfect timing after burning her food. I pity sopulu who will have to prepare another meal. Shame on Nepa!!
Chaii.. NEPA people just take pleasure in frustrating Nigerians.. This is just a typical example
NEPA…they always derive joy in bringing the light when it will be of no use to someone. Poor sopulu, i feel ur pain.
sometimes it is good to have patience
This story is so me at home and I would say that am totally not proud of it at all, now I have learnt to always take caution whenever am cooking or warming food.lol
many a time, power holding frustrate me especially when i need to charge my system to do my many assignments. but God pass them.
Abi oh! Bless you, Jennifer!
power holding is not something somebody can trust. i can remember cooking beans with my electric stove and the power was interrupted making my food to spoil. that is why there is a saying that goes ” as disappointed as NEPA.”.
power holding company of nigeria is something else.
SOPULU dear, that’s one of the things we are seeing in this country called Nigeria, am dreaming and praying for the time that there will be no more power failure in this country, I cant wait to see that time. the most annoying part of it is that they like taking the light when you are in most need of it, gosh.
I don’t blame sopulu for swearing. Power supply in this country can be so frustrating.
IT IS SO ANNOYING THAT WHEN YOU NEED THE LIGHT MOSTLY, YOU WON’T SEE BUT WHEN YOU DON’T REALLY NEED IT IS WHEN YOU HAVE FULL CURRENT THAT CAN BLOW YOUR BULB. IS ONLY IN NIGERIA THAT THERE IS STEADY POWER SUPPLY BY THE END OF EVERY MONTH WITH HUGE BILL. IS WELL. SOPULU TAKE HEART OKAY. NDO
I understand how Sopulu feels…. That moment you want to iron your rumpled shirt and there will be no light, but when you come out looking disorganized, they will supply the light …
Lol!
No,doubt, NEPA has a way of pinching someone where it hurts so badly. Though Sopulu was careless to have slept off knowing fully well that using gas is fast what if she was making a fresh food, would she have blamed it on power supply? When using such kitchen utensils, one needs to be extremely careful to avoid stories that touch….
Lol,wow this is very hilarious.
This is what we experience in most parts of Nija,my sister save yourself the headache of shouting(in the name of swearing).
Nice work ma,bravo!
Power holding company or whatever dey call themselves can be so frustrating… Always destroying peoples plan for the day… Such an annoying group of people we have at d top.
Lol…I have been in sopulu’s shoes a couple of tyms…d NEPA can be so frustrating with their attitude most of the time…..now she has warmed that food and cannot put it to refrigerate again unless it gets cold otherwise it will spoil….what do they expect her to do? Keep awake for the food to go cold perhaps!! Our government should help us towards power issue cos the citizens pay for this exorbitantly.
You don’t seem to have read the story, my dear.
Hmmm! NEPA,I have nothing to say to them,they should just keep on doing what they know how to do best, which is bringing large amounts of bills without power supply.
As a Christian, It is normal for me to hope for a better Nigeria. But the reality is that the best days of the country is not yet in sight. It will take the seemingly impossible disappearance of the whole cabals in all sectors of our national life for power, education and lots more to come back to stable state. Corruption Fight a charade, Promises Unfulfilled, Policies wrong,Government politicized.Everything is wrong in the country. Power sector should at least be De-privatized. The Privatization has not offered anything better. The situation described in this story is typical of a Nigerian Society.
hahhahhhah this is so funny and very annoying ooooooo sopulu I know how it feels when that sleep keeps disturbing when you still have some chores to perform ooooooo NEPA NEPA UNA WELL DONE OOOO…………….. lols……….I love this ma…
Wow! what an experienced experience, that frustrating moment you no longer need electricity supply and it comes. We are all used to that in nigeria
“Let tomorrow take care of itself!” I love that quote and obviously tomorrow started taking care if itself immediately…In some issues we face in life,we just need have that assurance and worry less to overcome!
Power supply in my area is worse than in Sopulu’s area, we hardly have electricity and it’s something normal and usual in Nigeria.
This people are so annoying. It’s only in the giant of AFRICA that dwarf services like this can be seen. That’s why my little cousins call them paper instead of Nepa. However, I believe they shall improve sometime someday.
Power holding people hmmmmm, even after all the havoc they have caused me, I still find myself trusting them and continually falling victim…… We just have to pray and hope that “Niger go beta one day one day”.
NEPA people! i have learnt never to trust them because of the numerous times they have failed me when i really needed them most. like Sopulu, i have had a similar experience and in my own case, i did a transfer of aggression on my cousin. i can only pray and hope that their services in .the country will be improved upon
I can feel Sopulu’s pain. It is very frustrating.
Its not new to me…… Ours in makurdi is worst, before we see light we fast, pray and beg. So my dear, its a normal thing…tk hrt oh!. Like u said, let tomorrow take care of itself. Nice one ma.
Ahh! one of the serious malady in the country. it caught up with sopulu. they can be very annoying. i think i have been in this situation and i was seriously angry at them that had it been it was somebody i would have fought so very hard with him.
they are so annoying, if i could control lightening i would use it to strike them every time they bring light when i leave home.
lolzzzz. very funny. i totally understand her o. NEPA have the worst time to supply electricityt. when you have worn the rumpled cloth and you’re about to run to class, they will remember their work.
I long for the day when i’ll have 24hrs light without the fear that i wont see that light again till after 3 days. Meanwhile, i’ve mastered the NEPA schedule, so i know when next i’ll have light and when they’ll take it so as to prevent stories that touch.
Oh, there is a schedule in your area! Una dey enjoy oh!
Power supply has always been a cause of concern in Nigeria, so I know what it feels like to be in sopulu’s shoes. I won’t swear though, two wrongs never make a right
The power company is just so unreliable. their unreliability is unrivaled.
This is one of the annoying problem we have in this our country- Nigeria. The power holding company, they are not trying at all. I really do not blame Sopulu for swearing Shaa
This is one of the greatest problems Nigeria is facing as a country, anyway sopolu was exhausted,in the dark,no light and she slept off forgetting that she was warming her food .
I can soo relate with sopulu. In my area, if the light stays more than 5hrs, it’s a testimony. we seriously need a change in this country. Nice one, ma!
Hahahaha the last part was funny but i understand Sopulu’s frustration. We are all Nigerians and have been facing this problem for a long time now and it can be very frustrating at times.
This story is very funny. The power company is very frustrating. When you need light there won’t be light. I think Sopulu should have been a little bit patient
PHCN and their issues. As funny as it sounds, we can do nothing about the regulation of power outage. We just have to learn to adapt to change. Poor sopulu, she should be at alert in case of next time.
ts really horrible when u need light most its when you wont even see it, i once had that kind of experience i prepared two meal due to my tight schedule but the power company decided to punish me, i kept warming the stew and onugbu soup (bitter leave soup) until it became something else. God will surely help us in Nigeria because the biggest problem here is light and water which is the essential amenities of man
This story is indeed an interesting and funny one, Sopulu should be used to Nigeria’s power company failure already and nothing about them should be surprising to her. My experience with the owner company is not always like that of Sopulu but at times they come late or never.
I totally feel Sopulu’s Pain. The power holding company are known for being a disappointment freak. Relying on them is like having a hopeless hope
The Power Holding Company doesn’t try at all, all they do is to change names, they should try to improve in carrying out their duties and make life a bit better to prevent what happened to Sopulu.
This people can be so frustrating .The moment you need them the most is when they end up disappointing you. Sopulu should take heart because she is not the only one, ts a Nigerian thing.
NEPA, as we call them can be very annoying. Those people can hold power just when you need it the most. Sleep on its own is something else. you will never know time flies until you close your eyes for a nap!
Funny and annoying at the same time! This has happened to me so many times, like one time I kept procrastinating my ironing because we had light all day. When I finally got around to doing it and plugged in the iron, power went off instantly as if they were waiting for me. I quietly hung the blouse back up because no amount of cursing could bring the power back.
Disclaimer: Never take long hours of power for granted.
Hahahahaha hahahahaha
I understand her pain totally. This country can be so frustrating when it comes to power supply. She shouldn’t worry, tomorrow will sort itself out. Beautiful story, Ma.
Hahahahah I know that feeling sopulu. NEPA people are not to be trusted in this country..Trying to rely on them is as good as being hopeless… Hahahahah very funny piece ma.
Nigeria is such a boring country, cant wait for it be developed like the western states. nice post Ma!
The amount of frustration wrecked upon Nigerians by the Power holding company is really second to none!
Lol!!!
I feel Sopulu’s pain. If there’s any set of annoying people in this Nigeria, power holding company never stops topping the list. You just have to deal with it anyway, what else can one do? ‘Ndo’, Sopulu.
Nice piece ma!
The challenges of parenthood are immeasurable, Sopulu shows the qualities of a good mother who thinks of her children before her own needs.Also, power supply in Nigeria is a forgotten issue as electricity has never been stable.
Nice one ma,I learnt in this short story that there is hope for the hopeless and that we should not worry about tomorrow that God is thinking about his children and this was shown in the life of sopulu and the power company where she was worried on what the kids will eat and the power failure and the light was restored back
I can relate to Sopulu’s frustration.
Nothing as annoying as power interruption in the middle of an interesting movie.
In my area in Lagos, we mostly get our bills worth during festive season, it is that bad.
This has made me decide not to vote anybody that promises constant power supply because they never fulfill it.
Lol I don’t blame spoulu. the NEPA people are always like that. They normally give us light on last week of the month because it is time for collecting bills.
Lol…In this country Naija nothing is so surprising with power supply anymore. It happens to everyone but I think they are beginning to improve these days in some areas.
HAHAHAHA.. Such a pity, the intermittent power supply in the country is something so traditional now, it’s is no news that some people can now do without light. But then it is a terrible situation which really needs to be addressed.
Power failure is just a problem faced by Nigerians…Sopulu should learn how to rest the body when it’s weak so as not to damage things.
The state of electricity in Nigeria is frustrating and is really embarrassing..
They won’t give you light when it is desperately needed but they will bring really annoying bills for you to pay and will even cut your light.
God help this country
This is an example of everyday experiences of citizens in a failed state especially a country like Nigeria where the government is not answerable to anyone. Its pathetic!
Lol my heart goes out to Sopulu.My experience with NEPA (as it is popularly called) in my area, could be likened to that of Sopulu’s. They are so unpredictable and even when you pay all your bills, they bring the light at their own time never having you in mind.
What can I say about power that my predecessor hasn’t already said, yes sopulu faces the same issues that is related with Nigeria as a country.
It’s one of our flaws but at the same time I guess we can only hope.
I can’t believe that a country as big as Nigeria still experience epileptic power supply. The only time they bring light is when they bring Nepa bill. Am really sorry for sopulu
Ahhh!!! NEPA can be so annoying, how can you pay for a service to be rendered yet you still beg for the service. Chai poor power supply why won’t sopulu insult them, they are very annoying. There should be a change oo!!
NEPA cannot be trusted in country, I like the fact that she used the word of God to comfort herself after the food got burnt.
Hahaha, i feel her pain. Nepa can be so annoying and it’s painful, they take the light when you have something important to do.
But we Nigerians are already used to it.
I pray the current minister of power can find lasting solutions to our power problems.
Hmm… Nepa …
Dia are so unreliable in my area to d point dt . If Dia z light 4 over 4 to 6 hrs …People will start wondering y.. .Are we save??
Wot if dt now take it. ..Will dy still bring it bk? ?
Nepa..
Bt dia z nothing dt can b compared to dt feeling of joy dt comes when dy bring d light. .
Even my youngest brother’s first word was “up nepa!!!”
If only Sopuru had the power to predict, maybe, the troubles she went through wouldn’t have happened or it’d have been avoided…. lol!
how annoying, I can so relate, NEPA o, PHCN o, whatever they are called have really received insults and curses from different Nigerians, sometimes I wonder if those curses take effect….?
There was no need of cursing the power holding company, its a normal thing for them, if the curses were to hook them, then by now all their staff would have been long dead because of me. I so much detest them because they do it to me constantly especially when i want to iron my sky blue and look good on monday..lol
Lols…. My Mum can so relate with this… There was a time we had to make do with this epileptic power supply and I went to school hungry becos of this same issue.
But after their officials were dealt with they stopped bringing exorbitant bills and d light has been more steady
Power holding can actually frustrate someone eh! Especially when you needed the light mostly,our country is really bad and corrupt if not it wouldn’t be like that
lol…. NEPA can be so annoying, i’ve had to go to school hungry because of this. No one can explain the joy felt when light comes, better than a Nigerian.
lovely short story, and the humour-epic
This power supply issue in Nigeria is so annoying, That’s why people who need electric power for their business do not rely on them, they can keep one in suspense.
I would scream ‘Nepa o’, for some minutes, then the curses follow suit.
Ive had experiences that kinda related to Sopulu’s. Power supply is unreliable and unsteady in our country.It is really,really frustrating.
I love her faith in Gods word, “tomorrow will definitely care for itself..
Wonderful!
The power sector in Nigeria is not to be trusted, the funny part is that we still jubilate when power is restored after hours, days ,or even months of blackout. It seems like no one is doing anything about it, wonder when things will be inorder here in Nigeria.
The power sector in Nigeria is not to be trusted, the funny part is that we still jubilate when power is restored after hours, days ,or even months of blackout.
sopulu should have been coversant with Nepa issues, if God should allow all the cures that are laid unpon them to true or manifest, they would have be burailing people everyday, but sometimes they even deserve those curses, can you imagine sometimes they restores lightwhen is not necessary like in the middle of the night when everyone is sleeping, someytimes when you are ironing your cloth for an important occassion, they can just take the light like that evencaring about whomever it may affect. also when your watching an interesting movie full of suspense they will just interupt you.
This is no doubt a situation experienced by a lot of Nigerians, one thing the power company is good at is perfectly wrong timing. Hopefully, it will get better.
Hahaha.. Funny piece.. The power issue in my side is even worse than Sopulu’s own. We’ve not had light for like 2 years now. Thank God for the solar system that has been serving us.
One should be careful when handling a gas. It can burn down a whole building in an instant. Secondly, Sopulu was very correct when she said they are good at sending outrageous bills for their poor services. God help us.
In my area, that very moment you need power to do something very important you won’t see it, it will be in the midnight when everybody is asleep, The light will just show
Lol….If God punish them..will they survive….She should be used to power supply in this country and should even thank them when they restore power…..
This story depicts our everyday struggle for electricity. The situation is very annoying and really needs to be addressed. Thank you ma for pointing out one of the major flaws in our economy. The story is also humorous especially at the end.
It is true that swearing is not good but She swore out of frustration and at this point it can be understandable and if I were in her shoes I would do the same
I feel for sopolu because i can relate to her situation. The power supply in this country is below expectations and must be addressed sooner..
NEPA are very useless set of officials that makes the society a dark area
When God said let there be light, I doubt Nigeria was involved lol…..
I actually feel Sopulu’s pain, but I love how she calmed herself down by handing it I’ve to God. For Naija, we no dey use Nepa get hope.
This story is funny and at same time annoying, because this situation is what we face everyday. Oh my God, so annoying, I understand sopulu’s pain.
power supply is not reliable in this country. sopulu lets keep praying and hoping for a change
This story is funny and at the same time annoying imagine if I was sopulu, after burning my food may God help our country
????
Sopulu should have warmed the food earlier when she still had strength and time.
I pity her tho because she doesn’t have another food for the children.
But a miracle may happen.
The power supply in Nigeria is terrible, so unreliable, I mean how could she have known the light would be restored at 10:30pm? SMH
This is a very good lesson for people who tend to blame others for their own misfortune. We should learn to do things at the right time when we get the slightest opportunity to do it.
Its really funny. NEPA! _ The power supply in Nigeria is really annoying. I envy Ghana.
Just the way the Nigerian economy is epileptic, so is their power supply. You can never depend on electricity distributing companies in Nigeria because they tend to disappoint.
Power supply has always been an issue in Nigeria. To survive this problem, we need other sources of power because depending on NEPA for power is a futile mission
i truly feel sopulu’s pain but the issue of power company in Nigeria should not be a new thing to anyone because they are known for disappointment and constant power failure at the time when it is needed mostly.
the biggest issue we have here in Nigeria is issue of light. the power holding company are known for their disappointment especially when you need the light most. they should try and improve in carrying out their duty and make life enjoyable and a bit better to prevent what happened to sopulu.
”Anything worth doing is worth doing well”. Sopulu would had stayed back in the kitchen to stir the food she was warming.
I will say we have a big power challenge but we Nigerians like blaming something else for our irresponsiblity just like sopulu in the story
I don’t really blame Sopulu, she was bone tired and the issue of power is still a serious issue in this country, she should’ve stayed in the kitchen instead of going back to her room where she would be tempted to sleep
The power situation in this country is just something else, I can sooo relate with sopulu. May God help us!
The power supply in this country is unreliable,if it was sopuru wouldn’t have thought of warming the food,she probably got tired and needed to rest forgetting she had food on the gas.I hope the situation would change for the better.
Imagine! This power company can be so annoying sometimes,I really feel for sopuru.Hope that someday this power supply issue will be rectified.
Imagine! This power supply can be so annoying sometimes, I really feel for Sopuru.Hope that someday this power supply issue will be rectified.
The government are using our power supply for business that can be of their own benefit alone.Their is nothing we can do about it than to take it the way we see it and also make sure we struggle to loose Nigeria out of bondage.
Very funny. Sometimes in my frustration I wonder the joy these power companies derive in making life hard hard for people. Although this might be comical but it is a serious matter which needs to be addressed.
Nice piece and so hilarious,Sopulu should not have retired to bed when she knew she was using a gas cooker,being bored and lying down embraces sleep,we should not always rely on freezing food always.it reduces taste and flavour. Great piece Ma.
wonderful piece,we should never put any thing on fire anytime we feel bored or tired.Being bored and lying on a soft or comfortable object should not be advised when we put something on fire.it is very risky.Also the power condition in Nigeria continue to hinder a lot of things.we use electricity on everything but we dont have it.
I can only imagine the pain in Supulus heart. Our government really need to do something about it. Its high time we really started using biogas,its much better for me.
All this power holding are always annoying one can even get hurt because of no light. We are paying our dues yet we have not experienced a two day light just like other neighbouring countries.
Funny story about the normal ways of the PHCN.
?? it is funny for the readers but being in the same situation is never funny. PHCN will always disappoint. God help Nigeria!
Lol. I can relate very well.
In my area, once they restore power, you should better iron your clothes because if you waste time you won’t see the light again. PHCN are not to be trusted
life gets harder but we get tougher in the process
The power authority in Nigeria can get annoying with their epileptic supply of power. They have made generators a basic necessity for Nigerian homes.
I understand how alarming it was but as a good Christian who remembered that tomorrow will take care of itself, she should not have sworn for the power holding company.
?? that’s classic Nigeria for us oh.. the rate at which there is power failure on this country is alarming. I can feel her frustration. But like she said tomorrow will definitely take care of itself. If it gets too bad the kids can harvest fruits and eat jor like the real village kind?
Power supply has given everybody in Nigeria an experience in one way or the other… Lol, I can feel her plight
Sometimes things do not work the way we plan them, and we shouldn’t worry if our plan s for the future (tomorrow) fails but we should remember that God is always in control and he said in his word that he would provide our needs according to his riches in glory and that we should give thanks in every situation and we shouldn’t use swear words because it is wrong .
The power supply in this country is really frustrating, you are not given light when you mostly need it sometimes when they manage to bring it, it will be in the night when everyone have gone to bed and takes it when you wake, it really makes one uncomfortable where their is no light. God will see us through.
I can’t stop laughing when I got to the point that they brought light hmmn its my experience where I stay after school , they only bring light maybe two days to checking the bails .
It even got to a point that my father sued NEPA to court for the outrageous bails that they do bring yet it didn’t change anything .I don’t think nigerians can do anything concerning electricity is just in the hand of God.
In our country Nigeria, we are used to NEPA disappointment, at times when you need the light it will go off then when you don’t need it, the light will be there looking at u.
In my area its worse i think we have not seen light fro a while now so its as if we now like in the stone age so a warning for everyone move on….bless you Ma
I will like to focus on something else which is the role mothers play in our different families, wearing themselves out just for the happiness of everyone. Thanks to all moms, thanks to my mom.
This one make me laugh oo…That woman swearing no be here o.
Well, no be new thing, the swears I hear everyday that is directed towards NEPA is becoming too much. Although, they’re not doing up to par. Regardless, let’s be considerate as those are people’s loved ones. But, if they joke with me anytime from now, I’ll just adopt Mrs. Sopulu’s way of swearing. I don’t joke with light. Hmm!
Lol…power supply is really a problem in some parts of Nigeria. I was once in Sopulu’s shoes; that was before we moved to a new and developed area. I feel her pain because Power supply can be disappointing and its one thing that I don’t rely on. I suggest Sopulu should go buy a Generator if she can afford it because that’s the only way she can save herself from worrying about power supply.
A hilarious story .sopulu’s predicament can be attributed to instability of power supply which did made her gave up hope and at the moment she never expected what she intently prayed for was delayed but still came into reality .
Ife nkea di very funny biko!… we’ve all been in situations like this .. imagine having your phone on 1% and you rush to your charger and boom! The light goes off *heart break*..
Hahaha! Only if she knew she would have waited a little longer. Power company can be so frustrating a times. But what can we do? NOTHING! Na Naija we dey o.
Lol…..I pity poor sopulu,relying on power supply in this country is a waste of time because they will hurt you when you need them most but I know that one day our country Nigeria will be better.Let all of us join hands together and achieve this.
Thank you ma for you nice work
Funny but true. The power supply in Nigeria is nothing to write home about but i pray the much needed change will come and life will be easier for Nigerians.
Poor Sopulu… I pity her and her burnt food but it is well sha. The power supply in my area is very poor, we haven’t had light since 3wks now and nobody is doing anything about it gosh its frustrating and i don’t like it one bit. When ever Nepa takes light it’s annoying and i understand how Sopulu feels.
Many a time things don’t work the way we planned them, but power holding companies of Nigeria are something else,it can render someone so useless.
Hahaha!!! Well, this is naija,she should have gotten used to it by now.It is frustrating sometimes.
This should also be a note of warning to everyone,she is not supposed to warm the porridge yam and also sleep at the same time.
What if she burnt the house or died because of suffocation.
Nepa people are unreliable, electric shock my younger brother cause he was trying to fix our wall socket since they use to ration the light in my area, it was on Monday and Monday’s are not our turn, but on that very day they brought the light and he got shocked, but thank God nothing happened to him
We should learn how to plan ourselves. If Sopulu had planned her day right, she wouldnt have been too tired to have slept off, which allowed her saving grace meal for children’s breakfast to waste. Also, on a second thought, if there was power, maybe she wouldnt have slept off.
A nice short story. I have due respect for all mothers, even when the strength is there they endeavor to make sure that they meet the demand of every one in the family.
Also power supply in Nigeria is something not to write home about. We will pay our bills and they will still not give light. something has to be done about it.
I can relate very well I stay off campus at Odim and we didn’t have power for 3 months straight. This wasn’t a case off and on oooo. No light at all. I had to charge my phone in class, most times there won’t be any room to charge and I’d have to go to hostel to charge and go home around 5pm. By 6pm it’s already getting dark and when there’s no light, studying is not appealing. But now we have light! Hallelujah somebody!!! ??
Lol… I still remember the “up nepa” chant that goes on in my neighborhood ,,,especially when nepa has not given light for months…the joy is always wonderful. Bfor the invention of pre paid meter my dad always complained of how nepa brings d light when the time to produce bills is near…..lol
Related with Sopulu’s case. The power company would not render their services when needed, it after you are done with whatever you needed the light for, they would remember their services. I feel like slapping them sometimes.
Very funny how life seems to play us. We should be careful in what we do and make sure that we are very conscious while doing it.
When a bad thing stays for too long, it becomes culture. We should be used to power failure in this country. But still we should always have a plan B in everything; if you plan to read in the night for example charge your lantern in the day. Our power suppliers are not trustworthy.
Firstly …what happened to our normal”up NEPA”….lol..
I actually feel that by now we all should be used to how our country power supply is not steady,and as such we should always plan ahead….but then the government need to do something about it
Uninterrupted Power supply is one thing that will never be enjoyed in this country… I can totally connect to what Sopulu went through..It’s a crazy feeling
poor sopulu.. it’s even worse in my area. ‘nepa people and their wahala’. i don’t know they do it or whether they are monitoring spirits. i will wait ages for them to restore this light to cook with the electric cooker,yet they won’t. when i finally give up and go through the stress of trekking to a filling station and standing on the long queue to get kerosene, the moment i step into the house, voom, the light comes on. why won’t people continue to reign abuses on them?? lol..
We can only learn to adapt the severe circumstances of power supply. I don’t think that aspect of our society and change if the head of government has not liberated the society in other important areas of the society.
I can feel Sopulu’s pain, after all has gone wrong NEPA as they are mostly called decided to restore power. I thought she would shout up NEPA as a way of celebrating the light but she couldn’t after her food which should have been in the refrigerator has got burnt in the gas cooker because NEPA couldn’t restore light on time.
??..This is Nigeria where power supply cannot be predicted. The story is hilarious thou I know how annoying PHCN can be. Anyway, it is well in Nigeria.
Thanks issue of unsteady power supply in nigerNi is alarming. I think Nigeria needs to work on it’s basic needs to the masses not at the end of the month, they bring a huge amount of money as bill and still require the masses to pay complete in order to avoid disconnection.
Power supply in Nigeria is very annoying and frustrating. When you need the light they’ll never give you. i really wish we could say it is better, but sadly it might just be getting worse. Anyway,it’s a beautiful instance of the typical Nigerian life.
Thank you ma for relating with and telling our story.
The power holding company in Nigeria, has really disappointed people in many ways. Just at the particular time you need light, they will withhold it. I liked sopulu’s positivity even in the stress she was undergoing. She is very optimistic as she believes that there is a way out of her predicament.
The issue of power supply in my area is excruciating, Nigeria need to do something about it, can u imagine that since this semester,I have not shouted”up Nepa”it is very bad,we student need light for our academic pursuit
Power has always been epileptic in Nigeria since time immemorial. From NEPA to PHCN, and now EEDC for Enugu zone. The privatization of the company made light situation just a little better but the bills are outrageous.
I wish other ways of generating electricity can be used in Nigeria. Relying on Hydroelectricity is not working,we can try Coal,waste,solar etc. We have the resources, but they are not being put to use.
I’m a living witness o
Light is a major issue in our country and our leaders need to work on it.
This is one of the biggest challenges facing Nigeria today. It’s true, however, that some parts of the country get a better share of electricity, but I think it’s time for the government to do something about the areas under supplied.
Power supply has always been a bad news right from time , we are already used to their inconsistency and too much shakara, though my area is not as bad. Sopulu take heart oo.. We re all in this together .. God bless Nigeria
Ahaha.. Wow!! What a funny and painful thing that happened to sopulu,Well.. It has also happened to me,at that moment I felt like punching them on their face .. Atleast it’s better than swearing for someone I don’t even know
So sorry for Sopulu
That’s the usual case of Nigerians
Every year they promise to improve it but not much changes have been made over the years
Lol….If God punish them..will they survive….She should be used to power supply in this country and should even thank them when they restore power…..Nevertheless,the issue of poor power supply should be addressed because some places hardly even see light at all.
Hmm… My place, power supply company gives us power like we subscribe for night plan, because the power always comes at 12 midnight and goes off 3am.i feel the woman’s pain this is Nigeria
Hahahaha, mine is when I’m watching a very interesting movie and when they are about to reach the climax, NEPA will just press their button and the light will go off. Poor Sopuru, after burning her food. This power issue should really be addressed because it’s no more funny. What they are good at is bringing bills. Nigeria should learn from other developed countries and provide a stable power supply.
Every Nigerian can easily relate to this story. You will be exhausted from work and still won’t even have electricity. They are only good at bringing the power on in the middle of the night. Power supply has always been a major problem in Nigeria and she should get used to it because cursing or swearing is not going to solve her problem.
Cant blame her in my own case I felt like smashing something preferably the person in charge of the electricity but its well shaaa there is God
Sopulu should be more careful,i know the electricity company sometimes frustrate human in this kind of situation, however she shouldn’t take chances as the house could have been burnt in the process thereby incurring and worrying not only about her kids but renovating the house.
This is hilarious,in this part of the world where light is not consistent well she would have been more careful I hope she gets something for the kids in the morning.
This is hilarious
But power supply in Nigeria is really annoying and can be frustrating most times
Ohhh! Sopulu’s experience is similar. Honestly, it is disheartening and uncalled-for. How will one after paying the outrageous bill and yet they will not fulfill there services.. Nonsense! I don’t even blame those people who overstep by beating the hell out of the NEPA officials especially when they want to disconnect the light. It serves them right.
I can relate to this. I remet one time that I wanted to watch a movie, I switched on the TV, slotted the disc into the DVD player and pressed PLAY. Just at the moment, the power supply was interrupted and that was how my movie night ended.
What a frustrating experience!
This story is highly amusing. Insufficient power supply is like a signature in this country. I totally understand how she felt.
Ma,its the same thing everywhere. Sopulu is a Nigerian and we Nigerians are all facing the same thing. The power company in my area is not an exception too but we pray God helps us. God helps Nigeria.
Welcome to Nigeria. Hahahahaha this is what everyone in Nigeria is facing and it is not funny. It is when you need the light most that they will take it. Sometimes i wonder if it is game they are playing with it like one minute it’s on the next it’s off. We just pray that things get better in Nigeria not only in power sector but other sectors as well.
Typical Nigeria palava! We are used to it already, all we pray and hope is for a better service ?. God help us in this country
Hahahahahah. That’s Nigeria for you. Most times, it’s like they know when you need the light. It’s at that point that they’ll refuse to bring it. It is well Biko. I can’t come and kill myself
Lol, I understand…. NEPA can frustrate your plans shaa
This is becoming alarming annoying too. The other day they brought bill of #6,000 for the light we did not see at all because the transformer cable spoilt .. they even threatened to take our wires not until one of the street tout threatened to deal with anyone who dare to remove any wire…. Honestly, like a joke fight ensued and the the NEPA official was brutally wounded …. I don’t support the action but I think that serves them right … Haba! How can one pay for something he never used.
Must NIGERIA situations always tilt towards bad bad bad…God please deliver us… Sopulu’s pls bear ok?
Whether it be power supply or matters relating to our daily life, Sopulu’s experience is something that almost everyone if not all has been faced with at several different occasions; this story brings my mind to the popular word, “had it been I know”
Power supply in Nigeria is very unpredictable
Most times after waiting for light to no avail and you decided to use another means, only for them to bring the light when you are through
I so much relate to her, have had so many similar experiences with our Nepa people. They never cease to disappoint us with their unreliability.