The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has concluded plans to issue to disconnection notice to various government agencies, excluding the health and safety agencies, who have failed to pay their accumulated electricity bills.

This is as a result of prolonged silence on the circular issued by the Presidency directing government agencies which had accumulated electricity bills to fasten the payments to the new power investors or get the money deducted from their allocations by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation

Rising from its monthly meeting with the Chief Executives of Generation and Distribution Companies as well as Transmission Company of Nigeria in Abuja, the power firm managers expressed displeasure over the continued accumulation of electricity bills by some government agencies. This, they said, had whittled down their effort in providing an improved and stable power to Nigerians.

Addressing energy reporters at the end of the meeting, the Chairman of NERC, Mr. Sam Amadi, stressed that the main essence of the monthly meeting is to provide a round table of discussion for the CEOs of GENCOs and DISCOSs to deliberate on the rising challenges with a view to sincerely proffering solution to them.

Amadi noted with apology, the inability of its committee to meet up with the set date for some of the decisions reached at the last meeting, thus, necessitating the extension of the date for the achievement of those decisions, this time, with more drive and hard work to achieve them.

According to the NERC Chairman, the summary of the set goals are geared towards ensuring that the GENCOs generate enough money to pay for gas and other services while the DISCOs minimise energy theft and collect more money to improve investments and other expenditures required to boost power supply.

•Photo shows NERC Chairman, Sam Amadi.

Update news