We’re not owing AEDC, BPE clarifies

…Calls for apology

Omeiza Bilal

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has said that it is not indebted to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

The bureau, in a statement on Wednesday signed by Programme Officer, Public Communication Stakeholder & External Relations in the Agency, Alhassan Mustapha, said it report that it does not pay its electricity bill despite allocations was not only inaccurate but lacks thorough investigation.

The bureau said, “In a recent publication by Leadership Newspaper, allegations surfaced regarding outstanding electricity bills owed by various government agencies, including the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). However, the BPE has swiftly come forward to refute these claims, asserting that it does not owe any debts to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

“The initial report highlighted that despite substantial budgetary allocations, numerous government entities, including the BPE and the headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service, had failed to settle their electricity bills. However, according to the BPE, this portrayal is inaccurate and lacks thorough investigation.”

According to the privatization bureau, rather than owing the AEDC, the bureau is being owed by the electricity distribution company.

“The BPE wishes to draw the attention of the AEDC and the Leadership Newspaper to the fact that it does not owe any outstanding electricity bills. On the contrary, it is the AEDC that owes the BPE,” it said.

The BPE further clarified that it adheres to a practice of paying its electricity bills in advance annually, ensuring timely settlement and a clear record of financial obligations noting that the “assertion that the BPE has neglected its electricity payments is misleading and categorically denied.”

Expressing concern over the publication, the BPE emphasized the significance of fact-checking and ensuring accuracy in reporting. The BPE should have been contacted for verification.

“To substantiate our position and clarify the inaccuracies presented, we provide evidence of payment and acknowledgments from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC). This documentation serves to reaffirm our commitment to transparency and accountability in our financial practices.

“We urge both the AEDC and Leadership Newspaper to rectify the information that has been disseminated. The record must be set straight to ensure fairness and accuracy in reporting,” the bureau stressed.