By Wilson Adekumola
The consumers in Kwara State was reportedly owing Ibadan Electriciry Distribution Company the sum of N50 billion naira.
The company’s Lead Media Relations, Mrs Busolami Tunwase, made this known while speaking with journalists during a stakeholders meeting on Tuesday in Ilorin, the state capital.
Tunwase disclosed that the market operator, a unit in the Transmission Company of Nigeria, was planning to disconnect its feeders from the national grid due to poor remittances.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the management of IBEDC had in May informed electricity consumers within its franchise area to expect a blackout from June, noting that this was due to the backlog of unpaid electricity bills.
While evaluating the company’s revenue loss data, Tunwase revealed that electricity consumers in Jebba lead the chart with an outstanding of N25.8 billion.
She said consumers in Baboko district followed with N18.9 billion while those in Challenge district owed the company a sum of N7.4 billion.
Lamenting the huge debt Kwara was owing, she said it was frustrating the company from fulfilling its obligations to its market operators.
”But I can assure that when payments are made, service will definitely improve.”
She then admonished their customers who are planning to procure new pre- paid meters to avoid third parties in order no to be duped.
“IBEDC will soon be flooding the market with new meters,” Tunwase said.
She urged Kwara residents to settle their outstanding electricity bills so that the IBEDC management would serve them well.
IBEDC’s Regional Manager, Mr Gabriel Eze, disclosed that a huge part of the outstanding debt was from government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as the Nigeria Air Force, Navy and Army.
