Security agencies, MDAs owe Eko Disco N42bn – BPE

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc has clarified that the ministries, departments, and agencies of the Federal Government, including the military, owe the power distribution company N42bn as the cost of electricity consumed and not N144bn.

This was announced on Friday by the Bureau of Public Enterprises in a statement issued by the Head of Public Communications, Amina Othman.

According to the statement, the Disco affirmed that its total outstanding debt was N144bn, of which the MDAs and the military owe N42bn.

“The Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc has clarified that contrary to earlier reports, the aggregate outstanding debt owed by consumers is N144bn, out of which, ministries, departments, and agencies including the military owe N42bn,” Othman stated.

The statement said this was against prior reports that the MDAs, including the army, police, and other government agencies, were owing N144bn and had refused to pay.

“In a statement on Thursday, September 6, 2024, the Disco said the clarification became necessary for proper reportage on the matter and to put the records straight,” she noted.

Recall that during a recent oversight visit by members of the House of Representatives Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, led by its Chairman, Ibrahim, the acting Managing Director of the EKEDC, Mrs Rekhiat Momoh, among other things, had informed the members about the legacy debts owed the company by MDAs.

The committee had reported the acting MD as stating that the company was owed N144bn by MDAs within its operational area, saying she mentioned that the military, police, and various state government agencies failed to settle their debts, creating financial difficulties for the distribution company.

The PUNCH recalls that electricity distribution companies in Nigeria recently lamented that no fewer than 20 of the 36 state governments in the country have refused to pay their electricity bills.

The Discos said some states owed electricity bills consumed by the state house or the secretariat.

“If you look at all our states right now, at least 20 states are seen to be owing electricity bills in either the government house or MDAs,” the Executive Director of Research and Advocacy, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Sunday Oduntan, told our correspondent last week.

Oduntan regretted that when the Discos attempted to recover the debts from the state governments, they would have their offices sealed over claims of unpaid taxes to the states.