Imo Government House and State secretariat have been plunged into darkness owing to Imo State Government’s inability to pay its over N200 million debt to Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC)
Infuriated by the electricity provider disconnection, Imo state government has commenced the demolition process of EEDC’s office in Owerri as a visit to the Owerri District Headquarters revealed that the office has been marked for demolition last Friday. The inscription on the wall of the building read: “To be demolished. Remove within 7 days, by IMSG.”
The spokesman of the EEDC, Mr. Emeka Ezeh who confirmed the disconnection said that efforts were still being made to get the state government do the needful,
even as it was not the intention of the company to make the disconnection a media issue. He however regretted that EEDC is aware that their office in Owerri had been marked by the state government for demolition.
According to him, “We suffer all manner of bashing from the public once our services falter. Now, how can we optimally render qualitative service when key stakeholders who use our services refuse to pay?
“The state also takes care of the bills of the Imo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, ISOPADEC, communities and for a long time now, those communities in Oguta and Ohaji Egbema have also been disconnected because their bills have not been settled.
“These bills are heavy and no company can continue to operate under such huge deficit. We are still open to any discussion that can ameliorate the situation for all concerned.”
According to our source, One of the indigenes of Oguta community had not received power supply in the last five years due to indebtedness to EEDC and the inability of ISOPADEC to pay their bills as agreed.
Reacting to the development, Mr. Mark Uchendu, the Commissioner for Public Utilities said he was aware of the power issues with the EEDC, but maintained that the core problem was one of reconciliation.
“The figures are exaggerated. I am sorting out the documents and what we need to do is to sit down with EEDC and reconcile the actual indebtedness of the government,” he said.
A source revealed that Imo Government House recently has been powered by generator for days now.
On the disconnection of government facilities and offices, Uchendu said, “I am aware that sometime last year, the governor (Rochas Okorocha) paid EEDC about N200 million for power supply, so all we need to do now is reconcile and agree on whether we need to balance the EEDC any outstanding or not”.
“The disconnection of the state secretariat is a major issue for us. We need to also reconcile that because the bill of over N45 million EEDC brought for the secretariat appears rather inflated to us because prepaid meters are used there,” the commissioner said.
Uchendu regretted that the ISOPADEC communities in Oguta and Ohaji Egbema were also in darkness due to debt owed EEDC, but noted that it was the responsibility of ISOPADEC to pay the debt from their 13 percent derivation. “It is not the direct responsibility of government to pay the electricity bills of Oguta and Ohaji Egbema. The commission does that,” he said.
