Niger Lawmakers Frown At Excessive Billing By AEDC

The Niger state House of Assembly has frowned at excessive collection of monthly bills by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in the state.

Alhaji Malik Madaki, member representing Bosso Constituency, stated this when he presented a motion seeking the contribution of the members in finding lasting solution to incessant billing by AEDC.

Speaker of the House, Abdullahi Wuse, while reading the resolution of the house, said that electricity consumers who contribute to purchase transformers by themselves and cables should not be made to pay bills until their money was refunded by AEDC.

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He said that the house would constitute a 9-man ad-hoc committee to look into activities of the AEDC in the state.

Wuse said that the house should grant leave for the presentation of a bill to establish a regulatory agency to coordinator between AEDC and communities.

Earlier, Bosso in his motion, said that many communities contributed money to buy transformers, armoured cables, poles or through the support of political office holder when these items are needed or spoilt.

He said immediately the items were purchased and the light is restored, AEDC starts sending bills to such locations.

Bosso said he had purchased nine transformers for some communities under his constituency who were left in darkness for many months.

He said that the AEDC started to send in bills immediately light was restored without contributing to the restoration.

He noted that AEDC, in spite of being a profit making entity, refused to provide these communities with transformers.

“I spent over N4 million to buy transformer for a community that was left in darkness for seven months and AEDC has not refunded me or the communities the money used to buy those items,” he said.

He said that there was need to ensure that people who used their money to purchase any electricity item must benefit through non-payment of bills until the amount was refunded by AEDC.