NERC warns Discos against rejecting electricity from TCN

HEAD of the Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, has pledged to assist the nation’s electricity distribution companies in getting all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government to settle their electricity bills.

The Guardian had recently reported that a debt of about N49,305,181,196.66 owed the 11 electricity distribution companies was one of the impediments against their efficient operations.

According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the debt is owed by federal and state governments’ departments and agencies, including the military and police.

According to a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Oyo-Ita made the pledge when she received the management team of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company(AEDC) led by the Managing Director, Mr. Neil Crouche.

She noted that already, her office had written to instruct the Budget Office in the Federal Ministry of Finance to deduct the monthly electricity bills of the Office of the Head of Service upfront and remit same to the AEDC.

The Head of Service said upon resumption in her Office about six weeks ago, she found unacceptable the huge backlog of electricity bills and resolved to write the Budget Office mandating it to make upfront deductions of electricity bills from the monthly allocation of the Office of the Head of Civil Service and remit same to the AEDC.

“I will not like a situation where we would have frequent disconnections because of unpaid electricity bills in this office. Such a disconnection can disrupt our operations and I don’t want any such kind of incident”, she stressed.

To hasten of payment, however, she asked the AEDC management to liaise with her office for verification of the outstanding payment due to the company from her office.

In line with her pledge to intervene to ensure prompt settlement of electricity bills by MDAs, the Head of Service promised to table the matter at the next Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting early in January, next year.

Earlier on, Croucher had commended Mrs. Oyo-Ita for her visit to AEDC and assured of the company’s commitment to excellent customer services, while also appealing for her support in getting some of the indebted ministries, departments and agencies to clear their outstanding electricity bills.