Following customers’ complaint about reduction in electricity supply from 24 to 14 hours, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State on Monday offered explanations as to why the state stopped enjoying a 24-hour electricity service.
The governor said that failure by customers to pay their electricity bills was now making it difficult for the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, KEDCO, to supply the electricity required in all parts of the state.
Mr Bagudu, who stated this in Birnin Kebbi during an interactive session with newsmen, urged to customers to pay KEDCO regularly in order to enjoy 24-hour electricity supply.
He explained that electricity generation and distribution are now undertaken by private sector companies.
“The distribution companies pay for what is delivered to them by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, and where they are unable to receive payments from customers, the supply may not be maintained,’’ the governor said.
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Mr Bagudu said that the state government had spent over N3 billion from 2016 to 2019 on feeders, transformers, local distribution networks.
He said that with the cooperation of KEDCO and TCN, the state was able to achieve 24-hour electricity supply within the period.
“Failure by customers to pay is now making it difficult for KEDCO to supply the electricity required in all parts of the state,’’ Mr Bagudu said.
The representative of KEDCO, who was at the interactive session, Sank Sakaba, said that the company supplied over N900 million worth of electricity to the state but was able to collect N300 million from the customers.
Mr Sakaba acknowledged the tremendous commitment of the state government in meeting up its monthly support to enhance payment by customers.
He urged customers in the state to reciprocate the government’s gesture by performing their obligation and ensure that the people of the state continue to enjoy 24-hour electricity supply.
NAN
