National Theatre in total darkness over an unpaid N9m electricity debt

Yesterday, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EKEDC) said that electricity supply to the National Arts Theatre in Lagos was disconnected because its management failed to pay over N9 million debt.

The General Manger, Media Communications of EKEDC, Idemudia Godwin, revealed that the complex was disconnected after several appeals and demand notices went unheeded. According to him, the debt is an accumulation of unpaid bills over time.

His words: “We don’t disconnect without serving notice. Besides, we recently ran a newspaper advertisement informing all ministries, departments and parastatal agencies (MDAs) of government that were indebted to EKEDC of our intention to disconnect them.”

On July 24, Sunday Odutan, Executive Director, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), decried the huge indebtedness of government establishments and military formations to the distribution companies.

He gave the statistics of indebtedness of the distribution companies as follows – Abuja DISCO: N18.6bn; Eko DISCO: N8.6bn; Kaduna: N8.2bn and Enugu: N7.2bn; Ibadan: N6.8 bn; Ikeja, N5.9 bn; Port Harcourt, N6.8 bn; Benin: N5.8 bn; Jos: N6.5 bn; Yola: N2.4 bn and Kano: N1.2 bn.