The residence of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, Chief of Defence, CDS and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Complex in Abuja have been been issued disconnection notices by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) over N47b debt.
The AEDC had disconnected power supply to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa earlier this year over the failure by the seat of power to pay up its utility bills to the distribution Company.
Other military and Police formations were listed among customers who are yet to pay their outstanding electricity bills to the Company by Monday, June 3, 2024, else get electricity supply disconnection to their offices, a statement by the Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at AEDC, Adefisayo Akinsanya said last week Friday May 31st.
According to Tribune Newspaper checks revealed that the Chief of Defence Staff, Barracks, and Military Formations are the highest debtors with a bill of over N12 billion.
The Ministries of FCT, Finance, Niger State Governor Abuja Liaison Office, the Ministry of Petroleum, State, Ministry of Education, and the CBN Governor’s office, owing N7.5 billion, N5.4 billion, N3.4 billion, N2.1 billion, N1.8 billion, and N1.5 billion, according to the notices.
Other debtors on that.led the pack include the Nigeria Police Force, N1.38 billion; Kogi State Governor Abuja Liaison Office, N1.36 billion; Ministry of Health, N1.18 billion; and the Clerk of the National Assembly office, N1 billion.
Also in the category of big debtors are the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), N846 million; Ministry of Justice, N815 million; State Security Services (SSS), N648 million and the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS), N362 million.
Others are Nasarawa State Governor Abuja Liaison Office, N348 million; National Intelligence Agency (NIA), N322 million; Ministry of Information, N302 million and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), N291 million.
Also not left out are Ministry of Trade and Investments, N281 million; Ministry of Interior, N268 million; Ministry of Works and Housing, N215 million; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, N200 million, among others.
“The timely payment of electricity bills remains crucial for the continued operation and enhancement of AEDC’s infrastructure, which is essential for delivering uninterrupted service to the Community.
“Deadline for Payment: All outstanding bills must be paid within 72 hours of this notice, by Monday, June 3, 2024,” according to the statement, which also emphasised the importance of adhering to payment deadlines to ensure efficient and reliable service.
Mr Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, had said that all hands are on deck to ensure that MDAs pay up their outstanding debts to the AEDC to allow for more effective power generation, Transmission, and Distribution to customers in its catchment areas.
The Minister disclosed this during the Ministerial Sectoral Briefing marking the one-year anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s first-year scorecard.
He noted that most MDAs usually hide under the government umbrella to avoid paying utility bills, which has affected the functions of power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) across the Country.
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