President Bola Tinubu has directed the prompt payment of an outstanding electricity bill amounting to approximately N342 million owed to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.

This directive follows the company’s public announcement in national newspapers, including the State House among its debtors, with a warning of potential power disconnection if the debts remain unpaid within 10 days.

In response to the situation, a statement issued on Monday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, revealed that the president’s directive came after a thorough reconciliation of accounts between the State House management and AEDC.

Contrary to the AEDC’s initial claim of a N923 million debt in newspaper advertisements, the statement clarified that the State House’s actual outstanding bill is N342,352,217.46, as indicated in a letter from the AEDC management to the State House Permanent Secretary dated February 14, 2024.

The statement assured that, with the reconciliation process completed to the satisfaction of both parties, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has given assurance that the debt will be settled before the end of the week.

Highlighting the importance of accountability, the Chief of Staff urged other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to follow the Presidency’s example by reconciling their accounts with AEDC and settling their respective electricity bills promptly.