Blackout looms as TCN set to disconnect Ibadan Electric over poor remittance

…As IBEDC raises alarm over N50bn consumer’s debt in Kwara

By Seun Ibiyemi

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) is being owed over 50 billion Naira by electricity consumers in Kwara, an official said on Tuesday in Ilorin.

The company’s Lead Media Relations, Mrs Busolami Tunwase, disclosed this while addressing  journalists during a stakeholders meeting.

She said the market operator, a unit in the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), was planning to disconnect its feeders from the national grid due to poor remittances.

Reports that the management of IBEDC had in May alerted electricity consumers within its franchise area to expect a blackout from June.

It had said then that this was due to the backlog of unpaid electricity bills.

Giving a breakdown of the company’s revenue loss data shortly after the stakeholders meeting, Tunwase disclosed that electricity consumers in Jebba lead the chart with an outstanding of N25.8 billion.

She said consumers in Baboko district followed with N18.9 billion while those in Challenge district owed the company  a sum of N7.4 billion.

Tunwase said it was regrettable that the huge debt profile from Kwara was hindering the company from fulfilling its obligations to its market operators.

“But I can assure that when payments are made, service will definitely improve.”

She advised electricity consumers who intend to procure new pre- paid meters to shun third parties so as not to be defrauded.

“IBEDC will soon be flooding the market with new meters,” Tunwase said.

She urged Kwara residents to settle their outstanding electricity bills so as to enable the IBEDC management serve them well.

IBEDC’s Regional Manager, Mr Gabriel Eze, said a huge part of the outstanding debt was from Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as the Nigeria Air Force, Navy and Army.