‘Military owes N600 million electricity debt in Lagos’

Eko Disco to install bulk pre-paid meters in barracks

Eko Electricity Distribution Company (DISCO), yesterday disclosed that the estimated debt accumulation from military formations within its network is about N600 million.

Managing Director of the company, Oladele Amoda, who made the disclosure in a statement, said about 60 per cent of the debt was being owed by the army, while about 30 and 10 per cent respectively, are shared by the Navy and Airforce.

Irked by this development, Amoda said the company is planning to install bulk pre-paid meters in all military and other security agencies’ barracks within its operational territory.

He said the installation of the pre-paid meters would totally eliminate every form of controversy regarding the accuracy of electricity bills in the barracks.

Amoda expressed displeasure over the constant harassment of the company’s staff by the military in the performance of their legitimate duties.

He said such would not augur well for the promotion of military-civil relations, which the military high echelon has been canvassing in recent time.

He noted that since the distribution company paid for energy received from the grid, no segment of customers can be allowed not to pay, as no business can thrive when services rendered are not paid for by its patrons.

Amoda appealed to all military formations and MDA’s to make payment of electricity bills a priority on the list of their expenditure.

He expressed the hope that with the signing of the budget for the current financial year, many government establishments would offset their huge electricity bills.

The DISCO chief further appealed to military personnel having private or official quarters outside the barracks to pay for electricity consumed in such premises, instead of evading payments by tagging such premises as military zone.

He disclosed that the company had to resort to disconnecting some military formations after all efforts to make them defray their huge debt to the company proved abortive, adding that the order to disconnect was only given after several letters and notices of intention to withdraw service were not responded to.

Amoda assured all customers having complaints over their billing to lodge such complaints through any of the company’s channels.