The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, the professional association of the 11 electricity distribution companies, DisCos, in the country, said, yesterday that the Sam Ethnam Air Force Base Ikeja, Lagos, would not be reconnected to the grid without the settlement of its N4.3 billion debt to Ikeja Electric Plc.

The Sam Ethnam Air Force Base, Ikeja, was disconnected last week due to the unpaid debt, which impacted negatively on the operations of the Ikeja Electric Plc.

Reacting to the Airforce officials? invasion of the headquarters of the Ikeja Electric Plc, vandalizing equipment and beating personnel and others, including journalists, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, ANED, Sunday Oduntan, said: ?Reconnection is not possible immediately. They have to pay what they owe us.?

Vanguard, learned weekend that there were ongoing engagements, targeted at ensuring payment and reconnection of The Sam Ethnam Air force Base Ikeja

He also said: ?The attack of Ikeja Electric Plc should not happen in a civilian administration because there are better ways of resolving issues.?

Similarly, in another interview with Vanguard, the Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, CPPE, Dr. Muda Yusuf, said: ?This jungle approach to solving problem is not good. As a nation, we have gone far beyond this jungle methodology. I willl suggest the top hierarchy of the Airforce in particular and the military in general should caution all their operatives to avoid the use of this embarrassing approach.

?It is not good for our perception as a major investment destination. There are more orderly and acceptable ways and means of resolving issues. We need to avoid a repeat of this kind of behavior in future.?

Chairman of Ikeja Disco, Kola Adesina, could not be reached weekend.

But he had earlier said: ?We are being owed a significant chunk of money, about N4 billion. We?ve been discussing this for about seven years. Somehow, the money wasn?t coming through. As a distribution company, we have the responsibility to collect and remit money into a common account for the settlement of all value chain players, including the gas suppliers, the Transmission Company of Nigeria and other critical market participants.

?Of course, that has led to liability in our books that we?ve been carrying in our balance sheet and it has made us a bankrupt organization so to speak. Somehow, we?ve been riding the wave but the very difficult and challenging.? (Vanguard)

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