The Eko Distribution Company (EKEDC) has disconnected the University of Lagos(UNILAG) Akoka from the power supply over indebtedness to the company.
The university in the recent time just like every other university in the country has been having the problem of meeting up with its financial obligation on electricity use on campus since EKEDC has unilaterally moved the university from “Band B” to “Band A”, charging exhorbitant tarrif.
By the “Band A”, the university which used to pay between N150 million and N180 million monthtly is now been served as of June a bill that is almost N300 million per month, which is about 100 per cent increase.
The university management in a statement on Wednesday appealed to the people in the university community for understanding over the total blackout the distribution company has thrown the community since Tuesday.
According to the management, the university has just paid the sum of N180 million to EKEDC but was abruptly cut off from electricity supply on Tuesday, August 27, without prior notice of disconnection and despite still engaging with the management of the company.
The university explained that, “Its engaged the management of EKEDC in talks over the exorbitant June bill and made it clear consistently to the company that it would prefer to remain on Band B tariff as it wouldn’t be able to afford bills generated on Band A tariff.
The university also declared that it would not be able to pay anything more than N180 million monthly as there is no where to raise amount higher than that.
“But within two weeks of this meeting ,we were slammed with a bill of almost half a billion (N472m) for the month of July further increasing our debt burden! “We kept to our word and ensured we paid the N180 million on 20th of August but on the 27th of August without any prior notice, EKEDC disconnected the university and refused to re-connect it to national grid.
“Despite the foregoing, management regrets the situation and is taking necessary steps to
address the issue.
“In the meantime, members of the university community are kindly enjoined to remain calm, and note that there would be a rationing of power supply across campus until further notice.
“The schedule of rationing will be released so that members of the community can adequately plan,” it concluded.
