Eko Disco decries N2.4 billion debt in April

Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EKEDC), has said that customers under its network are yet to pay over N2.4 billion, which was part of the electricity consumed in April 2017.

The Chief Executive Officer, Eko Disco, Oladele Amoda, said the electricity company was only able to recover N4.3 billion out of N6.7 billion owed by customers.

Speaking during a town hall meeting with customers under the Ojo Business District Area yesterday in Lagos, Amoda said EKDC is still battling to recover over N2.4 billion owed by customers for the month, adding that such huge debts had affected the company’s major projects.

“The company has boosted effective power distributions to customers, yet majority of the customers refused payment. In spite of the quantum of supply distributed to customers in the Month of April, large numbers of customers are yet to turn out for payment.

“We have equally recorded over N6.2 billion energy consumed by customers for the month of May but we are yet to compute the final payment chats. Outstanding customer’s debt profile since the month is still running,’’ he said.

Amoda disclosed that the Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) alone currently owed over N3.8 billion.He said EKEDC is working with the committee set up by Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osibanjo, to reconcile the amount being owed by the federal government MDAs.

He said that the Nigerian Police had said that henceforth it would only pay electricity bills incurred to its stations but not by the barracks.The Eko Disco boss, however, lauded the security agencies’ support in protecting its equipment within its operations, especially in the Ojo Business Unit.

On metering, Amoda said over 20, 800 meters had been rolled out, adding that EKEDC had also designed a methodology on monthly installation to customers within its network.

He promised that all unmetered customers would be reached within the stipulated time, noting that it was not possible for all customers to be metered at the same time because of the huge cost involved.He urged those yet to be reached in the meter roll-out to exercise patience, saying that no customer would be left out at the end.

He also said the DISCO had an established billing methodology approved by the industry regulator for billing unmetered customers, based on a number of factors, which include the customers’ consumption pattern over time and availability of power supply within the particular month for which the customers were billed.

The EKEDC boss urged communities to be vigilant and guard against the activities of vandals in their areas, adding that the company would work hand-in-hand with the police to ensure that the suspects and others would be duly prosecuted in court.

Amoda said the measure became necessary against the backdrop of over N1 billion lost to various forms of electricity theft and vandalism in the zone, in which electricity materials, such as cables and wires had either been stolen or vandalised.

The Representative of the State Service Academy, Ojo Business Unit, Nkoyo Joseph, commended the company for the appreciable improvement in power supply in the Ojo axis in recent time.

Joseph advised the company to maintain stability in supply, and urged EKEDC to pursue the meter roll-out plan with seriousness so as to secure customers’ confidence in the company’s integrity.