The Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO) says its customers in Kafanchan, headquarters of Jema’a Local Government Area of the state are owing about N1.9 billion.
“Our total outstanding debt from customers from inception to date is around N1.9 billion, KAEDCO Area Manager in Kanfanchan, Mr Fahad Nasiru, told newsmen on Thursday in Kafanchan.
“Part of the debt was inherited and the balance is what accumulated after we took over in 2015,’’ he added.
Nasiru said the company was, in fact, still battling to collect current charges.
“In addition to the current charges, we try to collect part of the outstanding debts to enable us to settle our own market operators.
“Ordinarily, we are supposed to collect 10 per cent of debts, but looking at the huge size of the debts, I can’t guarantee that.
“That is why I settled for one per cent with the hope that in addition to the current charges, I’ll be able to meet my target.
“But at the moment, we are struggling to collect current charges not to talk of outstanding debts of customers,’’ he lamented.
According to Nasiru, the company was able to collect only 40 per cent of its customers’ current charges in September.
“As at September, we were only able to do 40 per cent of our current charges, which means there is still a long way to go,’’ he said.
He advised aggrieved customers against assaulting KAEDCO personnel whenever they were out to disconnect defaulting customers, urging them to seek redress through appropriate channels.
He restated the company’s commitment to provide stable power supply in the area so as to encourage customers to meet their financial obligations to the company.
The area manager also assured of more engagements with customers to get them to understand the need to pay their bills promptly.
“We will continue to have community engagements because people need to know what they consume and why they need to pay.
“We are having interaction and more customers now understand our constraints and what they can do to make things much easier for everyone,’’ he said. (NAN)
