*Photo: President Tinubu *
President Bola Tinubu has directed immediate settlement of outstanding electricity bill due to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy said in a press statement on Tuesday that Tinubu’s directive followed the reconciliation of accounts between the State House Management and AEDC.
He however said that “Contrary to the AEDC’s initial claim of N923million debt in paid advertorial in newspapers, the State House outstanding bill is N342, 352, 217.46, according to a letter by the management of AEDC to the State House Permanent Secretary dated February 14, 2024.”
The Presidential aide added that
“Having reconciled the position to the satisfaction of both parties, the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has given assurance that the debt will be paid to AEDC before the end of this week.
“Following the example of the Presidency, Chief of Staff also urged other MDAs to reconcile their accounts with AEDC and pay their electricity bills.”
The management of the AEDC had on Monday issued a 10-day notice to 86 government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to pay up the electricity debt they owe or risk disconnection.
In an advertorial titled ‘Notice of disconnection’, AEDC said the list was published as MDAs failed to pay up their outstanding balance for December 2023.
“The Abuja Electricity Distribution PLC (AEDC) 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 honor their obligations have not achieved the desired result,” the company said.
AEDC said the State House Presidential Villa owed an electricity bill of N923.87 million.
Other MDAs listed are the chief of defence staff-Barracks and military formations with N12 billion debt as well as the ministry of the federal capital territory (FCT) with N7.5 billion debt.
AEDC equally said the Federal Ministry of Finance was owing it N5.4 billion; Niger state governor (Abuja liaison office) N3.4 billion, and the CBN N1.58 billion .