Tinubu Orders Payment of Villa’s N342m Electricity Debt

President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate settlement of N342m as an outstanding electricity bill due to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.

The President’s directive follows the reconciliation of accounts between the State House Management and AEDC.

On Monday, the AEDC said it will disconnect electricity in the Presidential Villa and 86 Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies over N47.20bn outstanding debts as of December 2023.

The publication showed that the State House owed N923m in bills, a figure the Presidency refuted Tuesday.

In a statement signed by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency declared, “Contrary to the AEDC’s initial claim of N923m debt in paid advertorial in newspapers, the State House outstanding bill is N342.35m, according to a letter by the management of AEDC to the State House Permanent Secretary dated February 14, 2024.”

The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu directs payment of State House electricity bill.’

It read in part, “Having reconciled the position to the satisfaction of both parties, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has given assurance that the debt will be paid to AEDC before the end of this week.

“Following the example of the Presidency, Chief of Staff also urged other MDAs to reconcile their accounts with AEDC and pay their electricity bills.”

Contrary to the AEDC’s initial claim of N923million debt in paid advertorial in newspapers, the State House outstanding bill is N342, 352, 217.46,

Some of the MDAs the AEDC named are Chief of Defence Staff – Barracks and Military Formations owing N12bn, FCT Ministry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of State Petroleum, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture.

Others are the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Ministry of Education, CBN governor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Interior, Head ECOWAS, and Ministry of Transport, among others.

While issuing a notice of disconnection to the affected MDAs, the company warned that it has “given a 10 days’ notice to 86 Government to pay up the N47.1bn electricity debt they owe or risk disconnection.

“The Abuja Electricity Distribution PLC 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 honour their obligations have not achieved the desired results,” it added.