Aba Power was reconnected to the national transmission grid on Monday after being disconnected for 10 days due to inability to pay the government firm that transfers power.
According to Business Day, a division of the Transmission Company of Nigeria issued a 30-day notice to the Company on April 19 to clear a debt of N896 million, and on the same date directed the transmission company, to disconnect Aba Power from the national grid within a few hours.
AMBusiness reported that when TCN ordered that the Aba Power Limited be cut off from the national grid, more than 20,000 members of the Aba Landlords Protection and Development Association threatened to mobilize to the Alaoji Power Plant in Abia State and take control of it.
Speaking about the connectivity, TCN said, “Despite the unfavourable operating environment in the country which has gravely impacted our customers’ ability to pay their bills, Aba Power, paid N120m to the Market Operator last Friday, so as to reconnect it to the grid immediately.”
Aba Power assumed operational control of the Aba Ringfence, which serves nine local government areas in Abia State, last September and claims to have paid N440 million to Federal Government agencies in the electricity sector in the last six months.
“This is the first and only time in Nigeria’s history that an entire area serviced by an electricity distribution company has been cut off from the grid, with all the far-reaching socioeconomic and security implications for the whole nation.
“In the case of other DisCos, not more than feeders would be put out for two or three days, despite owing billions of naira,” the company said.
The company requested assistance from all stakeholders. “We need individuals and communities to guard power infrastructure in their localities and report any suspicious act of vandalism to us or to any security agency. We constantly lose expensive machines, equipment, and materials to thieves.”
“We also need electricity consumers to pay their bills as and when due. When we generate revenue from customers who pay for power consumed, we will be able to discharge our obligations to not just electricity providers like the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd but also government agencies like the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
As a result, we will be able to avoid experiences like cutting off people and businesses in the Aba Ring fence from the national grid,” TCN added.
It stated that a situation in which only 40% of enterprises and individuals in the Aba Ringfence pay their fair share is unacceptable.
Speaking about the electricity consumers, TCN said, “Many electricity consumers bluntly refuse to pay for power consumed; some engage in meter bypassing; some others in other grave malpractices which can only make constant, quality and affordable power supply very difficult.”
It was also reported that the TCN has disconnected the Kano and Kaduna Electricity Distribution Companies, along with APLE Electric Limited, from the national grid for violating the regulations governing the market.
