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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has disclosed that it was planning to disconnect its feeders from the national grid due to poor remittances.
IBEDC’s Head of Media Relations, Busolami Tunwase, made the disclosure while addressing newsmen at a stakeholders’ meeting in Ilorin,Kwara State, on Tuesday.
According to Tunwase, IBEDC is owed over N50 billion in outstanding electricity bills by consumers in Kwara State.
In May, the management of IBEDC had warned its customers to pay their electricity bills so that the company can meet its obligations to the market operator (MO) and other parties in the electricity supply industry.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had on March 30, gave defaulting electricity distribution companies (DisCos) a 60-day grace period (till end of June) to fulfill their obligations.
Providing a breakdown of the company’s revenue loss, Tunwase said electricity consumers in Jebba were at the top of the list with N25.8 billion, followed by those in the Baboko district with N18.9 billion, and those in the Challenge district owing about N7.4 billion.
“It was regrettable that the huge debt profile from Kwara State is hindering the company from fulfilling its obligations to the market operator.
“But I can assure that when payments are made, service will definitely improve,” she said.
Tunwase urged Kwara residents to settle their outstanding electricity bills so that the IBEDC management could effectively serve them.
She also advised electricity consumers who intend to procure new prepaid meters to shun third parties so as not to be defrauded.
“IBEDC will soon be flooding the market with new meters,” Tunwase added.
Speaking, IBEDC’s Regional Manager, Gabriel Eze, said a huge part of the outstanding debt was from ministries, departments, and agencies of government, as well as the Air Force, Navy, and Army.