Abuja Disco Disconnects APC National Secretariat over N1.7m Debt

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has cut-off electricity supply to the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over N1.7 million accumulated debt.
The situation has forced the leadership of the party to now rely on electricity generator to provide power to the three-storey building located at Blantyre Street in the Wuse district of the Federal Capital Territory.

A source told journalists that things have become so bad that some junior staff had to gather some money to assist the party in buying diesel to power generator for few hours monday.

Out of the amount due as electricity bill, the sum of N500,000 has been paid by the party according to the AEDC receipt posted at the main entrance of the secretariat.

According to an official at the party’s the disconnection was made since two week, adding that despite pleas to the management of the electricity company to restore power supply, the company is still insisting on full payment.

Also, another party source explained that the bill from the electricity company has been lying with the party’s National Treasurer, Alhaji Muhammed Gwagwarwa, because of lack of money.
The action of the Power Distribution Company might have been in response to a charge by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, that every government agency must pay its electricity bill for it to enjoy power.

The minister, who is a chieftain of APC, had decried the huge debts running into billions of naira owed by government agencies to electricity companies.

According to him, the power sector has been privatised and are being run by private entities who have invested money into the sector and for them to continue in business and provide service, they must recoup their investment and make profits.