Abuja Disco To Disconnect Barracks, 84 MDAs Over N47.1bn Debt

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Monday, February 19th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Abuja Electricity Distribution PLC has threatened to disconnect the electricity supply of 86 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over a total debt of N47.1bn.

Some of the MDAs include the Ministry of Finance, Information, Budget, Works and Housing, barracks, Nigeria Police Force, Presidential Villa, CBN Governor, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and state liaison offices in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In a disconnection notice on Monday, the disco gave the MDAs 10 days to comply and defray their debts or risk blackout from February 28, 2024.

“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 notice read.

“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, 28th February, 2024, embark on the disconnection of our services to them until they discharge their obligations to us by paying their debts.”

Nigeria’s power generation sector has been embroiled in debt burden for years. Last week, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said electricity distribution companies (DisCos) should sit up otherwise anyone found wanting will have its licence withdrawn.

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) had also disclosed plans to sell off the remaining 40 percent shares of the Federal Government in the DisCos in 2024 while the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had time after time revoked DisCos’ operational licences due to debts to the tune of billions of naira.

Over the years, the Federal Government, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), and some banks took over some discos due to alleged poor performance and liquidity crisis.