Company cuts electricity in Niger Govt House, others over N1.3bn debt

THE Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has embarked on disconnections of electricity supply to the Government House, Minna, the state secretariat housing ministries, departments and agencies of the state government and the General Hospital, Minna, following a debt of about N1.3billion. 

AEDC Public Relations Officer in the state, Adamu Dantani, informed Sunday Tribune on Friday in Minna, that the decision to embark on disconnections of public institutions including the Government House, Minna and hospitals, including private organisations and private individuals resident in Minna and its environs last Wednesday, was as a result of a task force set up by AEDC’s board. 

Management, he said, saddled it with the disconnection to recover all the outstanding debts running into several billions of naira owed the company by customers in the state. 

Dantani explained that a seven-day notice was issued to the state government to settle its accumulated bills, but it allegedly failed to meet its obligation. 

He explained that the state House of Assembly had four months ago intervened between the company and the executive arm of government and an agreement was reached for government to settle at least about 80 per cent of the debt. 

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He said: “Till date, there is no commitment from the state government. “We took the action after being pushed to the wall by the state government for not keeping its word after the intervention of the State Assembly four months ago,” said Dantani. 

The AEDC image-maker, however, stated that the government had in the last three months been paying N74 million monthly out of its current bill, adding that the N1.3 billion was unpaid bills that accumulated before now. 

“We don’t have any option but to disconnect their services and concentrate on our teaming loyal consumers in and outside the metropolis,” he stated. 

Other public institutions affected by the disconnection include the state Water Board, schools, all General hospitals, office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Ahmed Ibrahim Matane and that of the Head of Service, among others.