March 28, 2024

Outstanding Electricity Bill: Niger State Govt pays N274 million MDAs’ debt to Abuja DisCo

Oredola Adeola

The Niger State Government has reduced outstanding electricity bills of its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with the payment of N274 million to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) out of a total outstanding of N1.3 billion spanned over eight years.

Alhaji Mahamud Keni, Niger Regional Manager, AEDC, confirmed this in a statement obtained by EnergyDay.

EnergyDay gathered that former Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu left 343million electricity debt, while the incumbent, Governor  Abubakar  Bello’s administration had between June 2015 to date, increased the total electricity debt to N1.3 billion in seven years.

Abuja DisCo in April, 2022, disconnected the Niger State government’s offices including state’s House of Assembly, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, and water board among others.

The institutions were later reconnected after an agreement was reached  between  the company and the executive arm of the government that at least about 80 per cent of the debt would be settled.

AEDC said that due to the failure of the government to fulfill the agreement, the state water board, schools, all General hospitals, the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, and that of the Head of Service, among others  were disconnected on Thursday Aug. 26, 2022.

According to the AEDC Regional Manager, the government offices were reconnected after 274 million was paid out of the N1.3 billion outstanding electricity bills.

He further noted that the government had agreed to pay N100 million monthly to settle the outstanding debt of  N1.3 billion.

Keni  said, “The company received a sum of N200 million outstanding debts of N1.3 billion unpaid bills that accumulated before now and N74 million monthly current bill for August.

“We have since restored power supply to the Government House, ministries as well various departments, institutions and hospitals across the state.

“We hope the state government would sustain its obligation by ensuring prompt payment of N100 million monthly as agreed to settle the outstanding debts,” he said.

Mr Ahmed Matane, Secretary to the State Government, also confirmed the payment of N274 million released to Abuja electricity.

The Niger State SSG said, “We have paid N200 million outstanding debts and N74 million current monthly electricity bills.

“I am very shocked over the disconnection of power supply by the company to  government agencies bearing in mind the modest contribution to the development of the power sector by the present administration in the state.

“We have invested more than N13 billion on the procurement of transformers and other facilities to support the company to improve power supply power.

“We have done that in good faith in the last seven years to enable the company to perform optimally,” Matane said.

The Niger State SSG  however expressed shock over the decision of AEDC to disconnect the government establishment after several engagements between both parties.