The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) allegedly cut off electricity to Government House, the State Secretariat, the Minna General Hospital, and the office of the Secretary to State Government (SSG) over an alleged N1.3 billion debt. According to the Niger State Government, this was just a ruse to make everyone look bad.
The state government's response was being made in light of last Saturday's cutting off of electricity to the government building, various departments and agencies, and the Minna General Hospital due to unpaid invoices.
Alhaji Mohammed Adamu, the regional public relations officer for AEDC, explained why the connection was cut off by stating that the Niger State Government had broken its initial commitment to pay off the debt, which totaled several billions of naira.
But Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Matane, in an interview, said the AEDC was merely trying to embarrass everyone, explaining that the state government had not defaulted in paying monthly N57 million as agreed.
“The AEDC is claiming that the government is indebted to the tune of N1.3 billion, but again have failed to also let the public know about the one we paid over a period of time. I think they are just out to embarrass everybody by going out and cutting lights just like that”.