The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje, has described his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Akin Ambode, as lacking the experience to lead the state. He said Ambode’s twenty-year experience in the public sector was a mockery of government. "For about two decades out of his 27 years experience in government, the APC candidate could be said to have experience deficit," he added. Agbaje also said the parlous state of the local government system in the state was responsible for the lack of impact on the lives of the people at the grass root level. He also accused the APC as being responsible for local government failure and turning the institution into a political apparatus for advancing the interest of the party rather than for developmental purposes. 10bn (N1.9trn) loan for slum development, nothing had been done to change the face of slums in the state. He promised to ensure the development of such areas in the state if elected. "Let me also charge those of you that have not collected your PVCs to do so at your registration centres. Also ensure that you wait behind so that your votes are not manipulated. If you do this, victory is assured," he said.

In those cases tenants drill boreholes, or purchase water from independent suppliers or the Water Board. Prices very depending upon the quantity of water needed and the distance to be travelled, but it is customary to pay between N3,500 and N6,000 per lorry. The domestic supply is 220/240 V AC, 50 Hz.ost outlets use pin-flat and/or round plugs (5, 13, 15 amp) and bayonet or screw-in lamp fittings. Some older properties have two-pin sockets. Any appliances are sold with two-pin plugs attached, and so require adapters. Contact the local area NEPA (National Electric Power Authority Office if an electrical connection is not already provided.

Fees vary depending upon whether the dwelling has one phase, three phases or a commercial hook-up. A certain number of electrical outlets are put on each phase. Small houses usually have one phase; medium and large houses have three phases. Bills are delivered to each household every month. However, for some months the meter may not be read. Bills in Abuja City districts may be paid at any cash payment office in Abuja City. However, it is better to pay the bill in your own area, as the payment record is hand written and it will be easier to follow-up if there are errors.

Cash payments are accepted at each area office. Bring the account statement when making a payment and a receipt will be issued. It is wise to pay NEPA bills within a week after receipt to avoid disconnection and a consequent reconnection fee. Power outages are common in Abuja. They may last from a few hours to several days during occasional major outages or bill dispute with NEPA. It is, wise to have a back-up supply via a generator. The power supply deviates considerably from 220V and is often too weak or too powerful to sustain some appliances. In addition lightening strikes are frequent during the rainy season and can severely damage appliances. In any environment, sockets and plugs should be kept clean and dust-free. Accumulated dust may catch fire, cause a short circuit and a house fire may result.

During the dry season, when the wind and the dust from the harmattan is great, special care should be taken. In addition, many imported appliances require the use of an adapter. Be sure to purchase good quantity adapters that make a tight seal around the appliance plug and the wall socket to prevent dust from entering and becoming a fire hazard. Air conditioners, in particular, have been known to start fires. They should be checked every three months to prevent fire and health problems. Although electricity reliability improves every year, if possible, it is still wise to have a generator. Tenants in houses provide their own generators; landlords of apartment buildings are responsible for providing generators. Different options, from the small generators able to run a few lights and refrigerators to those capable of servicing several houses, can be purchased and installed in Abuja.

Be prepared, however as they are expensive. A drum for fuel storage, to purchase fuel will also be needed. Be sure that the generator connection is properly installed. It must be physically placed after the NEPA line so that payment is not made to NEPA for generator-produced power. Although Nigeria is a major oil producing country, there are limited refining capacities. Therefore, the majority of its petrol and diesel is imported and there are occasional shortages due to domestic and international conflicts. During those periods, it is not uncommon to wait in line for up to ten hours for petrol.

Domestic charcoal can be purchased at the local market. Some of the supermarkets also carry imported varieties. Because of frequent power outages and fluctuation in voltage, many households prefer to have gas cooking facilities. Stoves with both gas and electric burners can also be purchased. There are many suppliers of cooking gas in town, usually quite visible with their gas tanks pilled high. Prices vary depending upon replaced or an entire cylinder is being purchased. The most common cylinder sizes are: 12.5kg, 25kg and 50 kg. Nigeria is on the PAL B German television system. Local channels are limited. Most people opt for satellite television, which affords the opportunity to take advantage of international and national television.

A multi-system TV compatible video recorder will be necessary if non-PAL videos are to be viewed as well. The South Africa Digital Satellite (DSTV) provider of M-Net is by far most popular option for satellite television. There are 44 TV channels, including BBC world, CNN, Sky News, sports channels, children’s channels and 26 radio channels. Portuguese, Asia and Arabic channels are available for an additional fee. These are quite a number of businesses selling and installing the decoders and the dish. They are soon to offer interactive TV, hi-speed internet and international call services. Payments for the subscription can be made in monthly instalments.

If service is scrambled after the bill has already been paid, you can turn your DSTV box to Channel 3, call the office and give them the account number. They should be able to activate your call again. Prepaid international calling cards from several different companies are available in a number of shops including. Amigos, Park ‘n Shop, etc. Users call their local; office/access point and put in the secret code on the card. The card is valid for a certain period of time or until the credit is all used. There are also a number of vendors with mobile and satellite phones from which domestic and international calls can be made. Many different handsets are available in Abuja. Prices vary depending on the functions provided. The options for providers are expanding rapidly. To date, MTN, GLO and ZAIN are the most popular and have the largest capacities for customers.

ETISALAT is a recent entrant on the market. Although it is improving, calls between GSM and landlines can be difficult .So many Nigerians have several different phones with different service providers. Below is a list of the prefixes for the various mobile service providers. The cost for a domestic house with 4-5 bedrooms is approximately N18, 000/ year. Someone from the office will accompany the occupant to the site to verify its size. The charge includes use of two dust bins from their store. However, the customer must arrange transportation of the dust bins from the environmental Protection’s store at the zoo/plant nursery near Aso Rock. The price and dust bins will vary for Embassies and business according to the nature and size of the business.

Dirección editorial:
Facultad de Arquitectura. Universidad Tecnológica de La Habana José Antonio Echeverría, Cujae
Calle 114 #11901, entre Ciclovía y Rotonda. Marianao 15. La Habana. CP 19390. Cuba.
Teléfonos: (53) 7267 1134
E-mail: revista_au@arquitectura.cujae.edu.cu