Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, has said that the blackouts in the barracks had resulted in the decomposition of corpses in Army mortuaries.
He urgently appealed to settle the Nigerian Army’s N42 billion electricity debt.
This request comes after power distribution companies disconnected several Army barracks and cantonments, leading to severe consequences.
During his visit to the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, in Abuja, Lagbaja disclosed that the blackouts in the barracks had resulted in the decomposition of corpses in Army mortuaries. This distressing situation prompted protests from the owners of the deceased.
He said, “Debt owed is loaded on the meter, so no matter the amount of credit we put, the meters pick it automatically. Corpses in the Army mortuaries are decomposing and the owners of the corpses are protesting.”
In a statement issued in Abuja by Bolaji Tunji, the media aide to the power minister, Lagbaja emphasized the critical need to address the power outage repercussions in Army formations.
He expressed regret that some barracks and cantonments had been without power since January, describing the situation as a security threat.
Lagbaja pointed out that the Army faced challenges in raising funds to settle the entire debt and called for a resolution similar to the one in 2005, where the debt was liquidated by the then President.
Responding to the appeal, Adelabu assured the Nigerian Army of his commitment to engage in dialogue with power distribution companies. He acknowledged the importance of liquidity and funding in the power sector but clarified that the debt could not be written off.
Adelabu highlighted the broader challenges faced by the power sector, including infrastructure vandalism, theft, inefficiencies in billing and collection processes, poor metering, liquidity issues, gas supply shortages, and attacks on transmission stations.
While acknowledging that power outages were a national issue, Adelabu pleaded with distribution and generation companies to adopt a monthly repayment plan instead of embedding the entire debt in their meter.
He urged the Army to continue assisting in safeguarding power facilities nationwide and pledged to explore collaboration with development partners for the installation of solar PVs and Battery Energy Storage Systems in Army barracks and cantonments.
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The story also revealed that various government agencies and parastatals owed significant amounts in electricity debts, creating a financial burden for power distribution companies. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, for instance, listed 86 ministries, agencies, and departments of the government owing a total of N47 billion.
A public notice issued by the AEDC warned of disconnection within 10 days if the outstanding debts were not settled by the government entities.
