Date: 2017-08-21

The Irepodun Local Government Secretariat in Kwara has been without electricity for four years over N4.8 million debt, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

NAN reports that secretariat located in Omu-Aran was disconnected since 2013 by Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

Mr Waliu Sanni, the IBEDC District Manager in Omu-Aran, told NAN that the council had reneged on all arrangements made to reduce the debt.

"It is not in our best interest to disconnect electricity supply to our consumers, most especially when it affects public institutions.

"But when the level of indebtedness is too enormous for the company to tolerate and effort to recover such debt was not yielding any fruitful results, we have to do that.

"We even introduced the installation of prepaid meters for the council to restore their supply and ensure instalment payment of the debt but the situation remained the same.

"In that wise, we have no option than to disconnect electricity supply to the affected local government secretariat until it pay up the debt," he said.

The official disclosed that three other local councils – Isin, Oke-Ero and Ekiti - also owe huge electricity bills.

The Chairman of Irepodun local government, Mr Jacob Abiodun confirmed the development and blamed the situation on dwindling finances. "We are already in contact with IBEDC and held series of meetings on the way out of settling the electricity bill for the restoration of the council’s energy supply.

"Part of such measures is the proposed installation of prepaid meter in the council secretariat. "This will allow for instalment deduction of the debt as we recharge the meter, " he said. (NAN)