Nigerian Police, Military, Other Agencies Owing N144bn Electricity Debt in Nigeria

• The Eko Electricity Distribution Company's acting managing director stated that N144 billion is owed to the company
• According to Rekhiat Momoh, state government agencies, the military, and law enforcement in Nigeria have not paid their electricity bills
• She added that DisCo was trying to figure out how to work with the distribution sector recovery programme of the federal government

Rekhiat Momoh, the acting managing director of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, said that the organization is being owed N144 billion by departments, agencies, and ministries within its operational jurisdiction.

Momoh made this announcement on Tuesday during a visit to the company's Lagos location by the House of Representatives Committee on Privatization and Commercialization.

She claimed that the Nigerian police, military, and other state government organisations have failed to pay their electrical bills, which presents a problem for DisCo.

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The PUNCH earlier reported that Nigerian power distribution companies recently bemoaned the fact that twenty out of the thirty-six state governments in the nation had failed to pay their electricity bills.

According to the Discos, some states owed money for power used by the secretariat or the state house.

“If you look at all our states right now, at least 20 states are seen to be owing electricity bills in either the government house or MDAs,”

The CEO of EKEDC emphasised that the company had successfully reduced its overall technical, commercial, and collections losses ratio in spite of difficulties in the power industry.

She said the AtC&C losses ratio was lowered by the EKEDC from 35% in 2023 to 15.1% in 2024.

The Executive Director of Research and Advocacy, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Sunday Oduntan had said last week.

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Oduntan said that the Discos would have the companies sealed over claims of unpaid taxes to the states.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have expressed their views on the subject matter, criricizing government agencies for not laying a good example.

Fathiat Ibrahim said,

"Just image how agencies that are suppose to serve as example are the ones found wanting."

Emmanuel Chukwu said,

"Welcome to Nigeria where everything abnormal semm normal."

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Legit.ng reported that Electricity distribution companies (Discos) had justified the rate increase, claiming that their Band A consumers in the nation receive the best deals in West Africa.

In an interview, Sunday Oduntan, a spokesman for the 11 energy distribution businesses in the nation that are members of the Association of Nigerian Energy Distributors (ANED), gave his remarks.

Oduntan maintained that in order to invest and enhance the electricity subsidy, the power sector needs money.

Source: Legit.ng