“Government’s actions linked to disconnection notice for June 11, 2024”- Enugu DisCo

Oredola Adeola

The Enugu State Government, through the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), has sealed the Corporate Head Office of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) allegedly, following a notice of disconnection published by the DisCo in respect of an outstanding electricity debt of N1 billion owed by the state.

Emeka Ezeh, EEDC Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC, made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday and obtained by Advisors Reports.

Emeka Ezeh, EEDC’s Head of Corporate Communications, made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday and obtained by Advisors Reports.

According to Ezeh, the majority of the state government’s facilities are metered, and the substantial debt is not a result of estimated billing.

Ezeh highlighted that EEDC is owed about N180 billion overall and has concluded plans to commence the disconnection of indebted customers.

“On arriving for work this morning, we were surprised to see our Corporate Head Office sealed by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA),” Ezeh stated.

“This development is strange because there was no notice of any sort by the agency to our organisation.

“We were informed by the security men on duty that in the early hours of Tuesday), at about 1.53 am, a group of men came and locked up the gates, claiming that the State Governor directed the action.

“Our Abakpa, Awkunanaw, and Ogui District offices were not spared as their gates were equally sealed and locked. As of now, there has not been any clear information or communication from ECTDA explaining their action,” he explained.

Ezeh suspected that the state government’s action might be connected to the notice of disconnection published by EEDC, which informed indebted customers of the company’s intention to commence disconnections on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

Neither Dan Nwomeh, Senior Special Assistant for Mainstream Media, nor Reuben Onyishi, Senior Special Assistant for New Media, were available to comment on the matter at the time of publication.

Advisors Reports has learned that the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) issued a disconnection notice last week to various state governments, including Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Abia, and Imo, as well as several key institutions and companies, due to an outstanding electricity debt of N180 billion.

Ezeh announced that the company will begin disconnecting electricity supply to defaulters from June 10.

The list of defaulters includes the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) offices, the Nigerian Army, the University of Nigeria (Enugu and Nsukka campuses), Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd, Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Airforce, Navy, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), and many others.

Additional defaulters named include Innoson Technical & Industries, Ebonyi State University, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and various local government offices.

Ezeh emphasized that the notice applies to all categories of customers—both maximum demand and non-maximum demand—who owe debts to the EEDC.