The Federal Government has started deducting electricity bills owed by Ministrties, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to electricity distribution companies (Discos) from source.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Dr. Oladele Amoda, confirmed the development at the weekend. Although he couldn’t say exactly how much the government has been able to recover for the DisCos, he confirmed that government has started deducting the debt from MDAs.
The Executive Director, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Sunday Oduntan, said the MDAs and the military owe the 11 DisCos a total of N32 billion. Worried by the huge debts and challenges facing DisCos in the collection of electricity bills, the power firms and other industry stakeholders held a meeting which was presided over by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
Oduntan said: “We had a meeting with the Federal Government presided over by Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, and he listened to all sides (all the stakeholders) including the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Market Operators (MO), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), generating, and distribution companies.
“The Vice President offered to take up the case. I can assure that this government is very serious, determined and sincere to provide electricity. The Federal Government has started looking at those issues. He promised us that MDAs will pay the debts.”
The outcome of the meeting resulted in the deduction from source the MDAs debts, he added.