By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Jos Electricity Distribution Company, (JEDC) has said the University of Jos is owing the company a debt. of N126,541,020.70m, hence resulting to a disconnection as a last resort, a statement from the Spokesman of the Company, Dr. Friday Adakole Elijah said.
Elijah said it took the intervention of the Director of the Department of State Service in Jos, to restore light on campus.
“We accorded respect to the DSS strong man and have decided to restore supply for the time being”, he said.
Reports rented the air in Jos Thursday morning that some students of UNIJOS embarked on a protest demanding that the staff of JED on campus substation should restore supply of light on campus.
During the protest the irate students invaded the premises of the company and barricaded all the entrance points thereby disrupting the business activities of JED on campus, our correspondent said.
Jos DisCo however clarified that they had initiated several discussions with the management of the University to fashion ways for them to pay the said debt, but all discussion yielded no result.
“In April 2024, the University owed JED cumulative debts of over N126,541,020.70 million naira.
“Several disconnection notices have been issued to the institution to persuade them to pay, in addition to several face-to-face discussions but the management of the University refused to pay.
“In the face of the University’s deliberate and blatant refusal to pay, the only option left at the disposal of the company was to disconnect.
“This has become imperative because the company also pays for energy that is supplied on behalf of its numerous customers.
“JED as a responsible juristic personality is not unmindful of the interest of our students who are our future leaders, but University of Jos must help to defrost their debts to enable the company to remain in business.
“The University must commence a tangible process of offloading the debts or else the institution will be disconnected again. The company is not Father Christmas.
“Students should please channel their grievances to the school management for quick resolution”, the JED Spokesman said.
