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From John Adams, Minna
For the third time this year, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has disconnected the electricity supply to the Niger state Government house, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
This is the third time this year that the distribution company could be disconnecting the state government over unpaid electricity bills running to billions of naira.
The disconnection which took place on Tuesday has thrown all the affected government offices into darkness, and according to the distribution company, power will not be restored until the debts are cleared.
It could be recalled that the state house of assembly had in June, waded into the debt controversy, between the government and AEDC leading to the setting up of a debt reconciliation committee which reduced the debts to N1.1 billion.
However In the agreement reached between the government and AEDC, the government pledged to be reducing the debts by N274m monthly in addition to paying the current bills.
It was gathered from a source close to the AEDC that the government paid only N274m for the month of July in addition to the current bill but failed to pay the second tranche for August and September.
According to a source close to AEDC, “It is a breach of agreement, the government has not shown any seriousness that it will honour its part of the bargain,” the source said.
Following the action of the AEDC, all the government ministries and agencies including the government house, water Board, the Minna General Hospital, IBB Specialist Hospitals are now without electricity supply, forcing some of them to result to generators to offer services.
No official of the government was ready to comment on the development but the Public Relations Officer of the AEDC Mr Mohammed Adamu when contacted confirmed the story.
Adamu said, “it is a directive from the consultants, our hands are tied.”
