President Bola Tinubu has taken action to settle the outstanding electricity bill for Aso Rock, Nigeria’s seat of power, to prevent disconnection by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
A notice titled ‘Notice of Disconnection,’ published by the AEDC on Monday, revealed that the presidential villa owed a significant amount of N923.87 million in electricity bills. The notice also extended to 86 government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), warning them to pay their collective debt of N47.1 billion or face disconnection.
In response, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that President Tinubu has intervened to resolve the outstanding debt. Following a reconciliation of accounts between the State House Management and the AEDC, Tinubu directed the immediate settlement of the bill.
Contrary to the initial claim by AEDC of N923 million debt, a letter from AEDC management to the State House Permanent Secretary dated February 14, 2024, revealed that the actual outstanding bill is N342,352,217.46.
Onanuga emphasized that after reaching a mutual agreement between both parties, the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, assured that the debt would be settled before the week’s end.
Additionally, Gbajabiamila urged other MDAs to conduct similar reconciliations with AEDC and settle their electricity bills promptly.