Four key Federal ministries have been
operating in darkness for the past two weeks following their disconnection from
the public power supply because of a huge debt owed the Power Holding Company
of Nigeria (PHCN).
The ministries are Science and Technology;
Aviation; Youth Development; and Tourism, Culture and National Orientation,
Daily Trust learnt in Abuja yesterday
Also affected are the National Gallery of Art,
as well as some offices under the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the
Federation (OHCSF).
The power cut affects the Block E building in
Phase One of the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, which houses the four ministries
and a number of other agencies.
A spokesman for PHCN’s Abuja Electricity
Distribution Company confirmed to Daily Trust yesterday that power supply has
been disconnected at the complex because of unpaid bills.
A Daily Trust reporter visited the Federal
Secretariat building yesterday, noticing that most doors of offices on the 11th
floor were open with workers using files to fan themselves because of heat as a
result of the blackout.
Many workers were also seen sitting in the
anterooms of the offices as the inner rooms were dark and hot.
A staff of one of the ministries who refused
to reveal his name said: “The light problem started before Easter and up till
now there is no sign of light at all and we have not even seen signs that
someone is working on it.”
On the seventh floor of the building where the
maintenance unit is located, officials refused to speak with Daily Trust,
saying as civil servants they were not allowed to talk to journalists.
“We have a problem as you can see which is
very obvious. What else do you want from us?” one of them asked.
The third floor which houses the office of the
Permanent Secretary (General Services Office), under the OHCSF, has power
supply from a generator.
When contacted, public affairs manager of the
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Mr Debo Adegoke, confirmed to Daily
Trust that the Federal Secretariat building was disconnected due to non-payment
of electricity bills.
But he said he could not immediately say how
much was owed, and which ministry or agency is supposed to pay.
“I do not know who is supposed to pay but what
I can confirm is that they are our customers and they are currently under
disconnection due to unpaid bills,” he said.
“The woman in charge of the accounts is not
available to check the books for the amount they are owing.”
Mr Stephen Nelson, a spokesman for the
Ministry of Science and Technology, one of those affected by the power cut,
confirmed they were in darkness but that the ministry is not responsible for
paying the power bills.
He said the head of service’s office is in
charge of maintaining the Federal Secretariat complex, and so any enquiry about
the power cut should be directed to that office.
A senior official in the Ministry of Youth
Development, which is also affected by the blackout, also said the head of
service’s office is responsible for settling the power bills.
“It has been difficult working under that
(power cut) condition in the past week,” he told Daily Trust yesterday, but
added that he noticed efforts being made to power the building using generators.
Mr. Tope Ajakaiye, spokesman for the Head of
Service Bukar Goni Aji, could not be reached for comments yesterday. He did not
answer calls and text messages sent to him by Daily Trust on the matter.
Source: Daily Trust
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