By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the Niger State government says it has offset all debts owed by the government to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
The state Head of Service, Salisu Abubakar disclosed this while briefing journalists on Thursday in Minna.
The head of service disclosed that the present administration, under the leadership of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, received a debt profile of N4 billion as legacy debt from the AEDC upon assuming leadership in the state.
He said that the state government had set up a committee to verify the claims, the outcome of which pegged the total debt at N1.3 billion.
Abubakar lamented that despite the state government’s initiative to invest over N18 billion in the AEDC since 2015, the firm has continued to levy exorbitant charges on the state government.
“When we came on board, AEDC presented a bill of over N4 billion as legacy debt. A school with one single ceiling fan in the principal’s office and headmaster’s office saw a bill of N17 million.
“The abandoned speaker’s residence received a bill of N8 million and many other cases like that. We had to set up a committee to verify these claims and at the end of the day, we arrived at N1.3 million.
“As I speak to you, we have paid off our debts,” he said.
He thereby said that the state government has resolved to take all government establishments off the grid of the AEDC to mitigate against exorbitant electricity charges.
Abubakar restated the state government’s commitment to actualizing its agenda of transforming the state.
He noted that the state government is abiding strictly by all procurement laws and processes and has adopted discipline in issues of finance.
