Nigerians have been facing the twin evil of fuel scarcity and an epileptic power supply in recent weeks. After increasing tariffs by as much as 40%, Electricity Distribution Companies have been unable to provide stable power supply of at least over 12 hours a day.
Apart from gas supply shortages caused by pipeline vandalization, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANEDS) has also now suggested that huge indebtedness may also be a reason for poor power supply. The discos particularly singled out government and it’s agencies claiming that it owed them over N60b.
According to, its Executive Director, Barr. Sunday Oduntan, who spoke in Abuja, the huge debts were affecting their ability to service their network and also pay up power generators. He also mentioned the Nigerian Army as the highest debtor.
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The total amount of debt owed power distribution companies (DisCos) by ministries, departments and agencies at both the federal, state and local government levels is about N60billion. As at December last year, the total debt was N58billion, but it has grown to about N60billion as we speak.
“A large part of this debt is owed by the military. The Nigerian Army takes pleasure in beating up our staff for unjust reasons and they don’t like to pay their bills. We won’t condone this anymore and we are going to take this case up with them, particularly the recent one that happened in Abeokuta.”
He also claimed that the Army was owing Discos about N15billion which they have refused to pay, choosing instead to beat up their men.
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The Nigerian Army keep oppressing us and often times they feel they are above the law, but this shouldn’t be. In Abeokuta, they beat up one of our official for unjust reasons and the same same group of military men who did that have not paid their electricity bills since 2013.
“The team in Abeokuta, which is the 351 Artillery Brigade, was led by one Major Musa and we use this medium to urge President Buhari to call the soldiers to order. They must know that they are not above the law.”
He also provided a breakdown of how much the Army is owing every Disco.
The army alone owe DisCos over N15billion. They owe Benin Disco N2.3billion, Eko is owed N1.9billion, Ikeja N1.6billion, Jos N2billion, Kaduna N6.6billion, Kano N301million, Port Harcourt N1.3billion, and Yola-N435million.
