From Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
The management of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company of Nigeria (IBEDC) has disclosed that consumers in Kwara State owe the company over N50 billion.
IBEDC media relations officer, Olori Busolami Tunwase, disclosed this in Ilọrin, the state capital, yesterday at a stakeholders engagement attended by electricity consumers across the metropolis.
IBEDC covers Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara and parts of Niger, Ekiti and Kogi states.
Giving a breakdown of the company’s revenue loss data, Tunwase said electricity consumers in Jebba, Moro Local Government Area of the state, topped the debtors’ chart with a debt of N25.8 billion.
She said customers in Baboko, Ilọrin West Local Government Area, followed with N18.9 bn while residents in the challenged district are indebted to the tune of N7.4 bn.
She said the huge debt profile from Kwara is hindering the company from fulfilling its obligations to its market operators.
She said the company can no longer fold its arm and watch the situation, assuring “that when payments are made, service will definitely improve.”
Tunwanse advised consumers of electricity who intend to procure new pre-paid metres to shun third parties to avoid purchasing illicit metres.
She assured that IBEDC will flood the market with metres adding that the new electricity act signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has criminalised electricity theft in whatever form, which also attracts a jail term.
IBEDC Kwara State Regional Head, Engr Gabriel Chukwudi Eze, said the huge chunk of the outstanding debts were from government ministries, departments and agencies including the Nigeria Air Force, Navy and Army and residents, among others.
On his part, Kwara State chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulations Commission (NERC), Ajanaku Adeleke, said the commission is being inundated daily with poor attitudes of IBEDC’S staff towards electricity consumers.
He urged the management to call their staff to order in other to foster customer-management relationships.
Speaking on the issue, the Permanent Secretary, Kwara State Ministry of Information, Mrs Christiana Ashonibare, requested IBEDC to name the ministry that had defaulted.
Ashonibare added that “I don’t know the ministries that are owing them. (But) it is better to ask which ministries are owing them so that they will contact them to know whether it is true or not.”