‘Aso Rock owes N923.8m’ — AEDC gives 86 MDAs ultimatum to pay N47bn debt

The management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has issued a 10-day notice to 86 government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to pay up the N47.1 billion electricity debt they owe or risk disconnection.

AEDC made this known in an advertorial titled ‘Notice of disconnection’ published on Monday.

According to the DisCo, the list was published as MDAs failed to pay up their outstanding balance for December 2023.

“The Abuja Electricity Distribution PLC (AEDC) is constrained to do this publication with the details of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies with long outstanding unpaid bills for services rendered to them through the provision of electricity supply in that our previous attempts to make them honor their obligations have not achieved the desired result,” the company said.

According to the notice, the presidential villa owes an electricity bill of N923.87 million. 

Other MDAs listed are the chief of defence staff-Barracks and military formations with N12 billion debt as well as the ministry of the federal capital territory (FCT) with N7.5 billion debt.

The ministry of finance, the DisCo said, owes N5.4 billion, Niger state governor (Abuja liaison office) owes N3.4 billion, and N1.58 billion is payable by the CBN governor.

“The relevant MDAs (as listed above) are hereby given notice that AEDC shall after the expiration of 10 days from the date of this publication, that is, after Wednesday, 28th February 2024, embark on disconnection of our services to them until they discharge their obligations to us by paying their debts,” AEDC said. 

On January 10, 2024, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had issued a 14-day suspension notice to Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) over N33.71 billion in electricity debt.