The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distribution Company (ANED) says it is awaiting details of the N40 billion approved for the payment of electricity debts owed DisCos by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Sunny Oduntan ANED’s executive director, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the details of the approved fund became necessary given the initial claims by the DisCos.
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Budget and National Planning at the presentation of budget breakdown earmarked N40 billion to settle reconciled outstanding electricity debt of Federal Government institutions.
The DisCos through its association had repeatedly said that it was being owed more than N100 billion for unpaid electricity consumed by MDAs.
In a bid to settle the debt, government had initiated a verification process of the claims made by DisCos to ascertain the genuineness of the debt.
President Muhammadu Buhari had also directed the full payment of all electricity debts owed DisCos in the country.
Oduntan said that it would not join issues with the government on the earmarked fund for the settlement of the debt.
“We don’t want to join issues with the government on this matter, what we are doing now, we are waiting for the details and we shall respond appropriately as soon as we get the full details.
He said that the information at the ANED’s disposal on the approved fund was in piecemeal.
According to him, it is too premature for the association to fully make its intention known on the approval without getting the details of the earmarked fund for the DisCos.
He said that it was wrong for people to misinterpret the directive of NERC on payment of electricity on estimated methodology.
“For those who are misleading the public saying that people should stop paying bills, we know what to do within the ambit of the law.
“I cannot be supplying you my product and you are not paying for it.’’
When asked the possibility of contracting the metering project to other companies as was being done in other countries given the huge capital required for metering, Oduntan said that the DisCos would cross the bridge when it gets there.
