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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has threatened to disconnect electricity supply to the Presidential Villa and 86 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over N47.1 billion outstanding debts as of December 2023.
AEDC disclosed this in a notice published in a national daily (The PUNCH), on Monday.
In the notice, AEDC gave the debtors a 10-day ultimatum, ending on February 28, to settle their outstanding bills or face disconnection of services.
Some of the affected MDAs are Chief of Defence Staff – Barracks and Military Formations, Ministry of Federal Capital Territory, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of State for Petroleum, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Agriculture.
Others are the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Ministry of Education, CBN Governor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Interior, ECOWAS Headquarters and Ministry of Transportation among others.
“The Management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has given a 10 days’ notice to 86 Government Government, Ministries, Departments and Agenciesto pay up the N47.1 billion electricity debt they owe or risk disconnection.
“The Abuja Electricity Distribution PLC is constrained to do this publication with the details of Government, Ministries, Departments and Agencies with long outstanding unpaid bills for services rendered to them through the provision of electricity supply in that our previous attempts to make them honour their obligations have not achieved the desired results.
“The relevant MDAs are hereby given notice that the AEDC shall, after the expiration of 10 days from the date of this publication, that is, after Wednesday, February 28, 2024, embark on the disconnection of our services to them until they discharge their obligations to us by paying their debts,” it said.