TheCable

Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has asked customers to pay outstanding bills to enable it to meet up with remittances to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

Kingsley Achife, IBEDC chief executive officer, issued the warning in a statement on Thursday.

Achife said the TCN had threatened to disconnect its feeders from the national grid due to poor remittances.

He warned that the disconnection might result in power outages within the IBEDC franchise area.

Some residents of the state have reported poor power supply in recent weeks, with some areas recording no supply for days.

“As a revenue collection arm of the electricity value chain, IBEDC sells and distributes electricity generated by the generation companies,” IBEDC said.

“However, the company is unable to meet its financial obligations to the electricity value chain due to poor payment and huge outstanding bills by customers.

“We appeal to our esteemed customers to pay their current and outstanding bills to enable IBEDC to meet its obligations to the Market Operator and other parties in the electricity supply industry to ensure continuous and uninterrupted power supply.

“Payment for electricity is essential to ensure the sustainability of our operations, and it is a responsibility that we all share.

“We urge our customers to note that failure to pay current and outstanding electricity bills may result in disruption of power to homes, communities, and businesses connected to our network.

“We encourage all customers to pay their bills promptly to avoid any inconvenience.”

Achife said IBEDC, as a “responsible corporate organisation”, prioritises providing reliable and excellent service to its customers, but it requires timely payment of bills to effectively carry out its duties.