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Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, has made a fervent appeal for the liquidation of the Nigerian Army’s staggering N42 billion electricity debt, following the disconnection of various Army barracks and cantonments by power distribution companies. Lagbaja emphasized the urgent need to address the dire consequences of prolonged blackouts, including the decomposition of corpses in Army mortuaries and subsequent protests by the affected families.
During a visit to the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, in Abuja, Lagbaja underscored the severity of the situation, highlighting the security implications of blackouts in military installations. He lamented that some barracks had been plunged into total darkness since January, posing significant challenges to operational effectiveness and the well-being of personnel.
Lagbaja stressed the Army’s inability to settle the entire debt immediately and urged for a resolution similar to the 2005 liquidation under the former President. He emphasized the critical need for uninterrupted power supply in safeguarding national security interests and combating electricity infrastructure vandalism.
In response, Minister Adelabu assured the Nigerian Army of his commitment to engage power distribution companies in dialogue to relieve the Army of its financial burden. While acknowledging the importance of addressing liquidity challenges in the power sector, Adelabu emphasized that the debt could not be written off but suggested restructuring the payment plan.
Adelabu further highlighted the broader challenges facing the power sector, including infrastructure vandalism, poor billing practices, gas supply shortages, and transmission disruptions. He called for collaborative efforts to address these systemic issues and explore alternative power supply sources such as solar PVs and Battery Energy Storage Systems.
