FG Plans Centralised Electricity Bills Payment

Following allegations of huge debts owed the electricity distribution companies (DISCOs)  by its agencies, the Federal Government says, it may henceforth adopt a new payment mechanism for settlement of the monthly bills of its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
This was contained in a report presented by the Special Assistant on Power to the President, Damilola Ogunbiyi, on the status of an ongoing MDAs debts verification.
The report, which was presented to stakeholders at the 13th edition of the monthly power sector operators’ meeting held at Transcorp Power, Ugheli in Delta State, indicated that while the government has accepted to pay off debts owned by MDAs to DISCOs, after verification, it would offset the bills on the basis of metered amounts.
The Discos  across the nation accused government agencies of being their highest debtors.
This is an indication that the government would after verifying the debt claims of the Discos, impress it on them to provide its MDAs with meters from which, payments for electricity consumption would be made against payments based on estimated bills.
At all levels, consumers of electricity services have continued to condemn the estimated billing system as they view this as a strategy adopted by the Discos to defraud them.
According to Chidi Amaobi, a resident of Diobu in Port Harcourt, “while they fail in rendering needed services to their customers, the Discos demand outrageous bills payment from the helpless customers.
They had continued to call on the Federal Government to save them  from the alleged fraudulent practices of the Discos, but so far the Federal Government, which is now a victim, seems not to consider it necessary.