Bauchi owes Disco N1.6bn in electricity bills

Forum 7 years ago

Bauchi owes Disco N1.6bn in electricity bills

Jos Electricity Distribution Plc said on Tuesday that it disconnected Bauchi State Government facilities over N1.6 billion electricity bills owed the company

The Disco's Business Manager, Bauchi Business Unit, Alhaji Aminu Mohammed, said of the amount Gubi Dam Treatment Plant owed the company N20 million.

The company had in the last three weeks disconnected electricity from facilities belonging to the state, including water plants.

Residents have resorted to tapping rain water to use for both domestic and commercial purposes while vendors make brisk business due to the situation.

Mohammed estimated the state monthly bill at N60 million, adding that the government "only pay N30 million monthly leaving the balance of N30 million.

"The bill has accumulated since 2007 and several meetings with the accountant-general, commissioner for finance, chief of staff to the governor and the governor himself were to no avail.

"Management of the company finally decided to disconnect all state government establishments and that is why there is no water for the last two weeks," he said.

Mohammed threatened that "the company is not going to reconnect the affected establishments until the debt is paid.

"Inadequate finance had hindered the performance of the organization to supply electricity while consumers have refused to pay.

"The money realised from revenue is not enough to pay workers' salaries, therefore, we want to reach an acceptable agreement with the government before we reconnect the establishments," he added.

Mr Aminu Gital, General Manager, State Water Board, confirmed the indebtedness but declined to elaborate on the debt profile.

"All our plants are in good condition but all have been disconnected from the national grid by Electricity Company and it is not economical to run them on generators," he added.

Alhaji Ghali Ma'aji, the state Commissioner for Water Resources, when contacted on his mobile phone, said: "I am right now in Abuja en route to Egypt and will talk to you when I am back."