The Garki Model
Market in Abuja would soon have pre-paid electricity meters, an official
of the market told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
The market has been without electricity since January 2010 because of a N23.7 million debt owed the PHCN.
Innocent Amaechina,
head, corporate affairs, Abuja Markets Management Ltd. (AMML), managers
of the market, told NAN that arrangements had reached advanced stages
for the installation of the meters.
“We are looking for a
lasting solution and that is why PHCN is partnering with us to see that
prepaid meters are brought in. It will be pay as you go. Your billing
will be independent of mine, so that if you don’t pay, it will not
affect mine,” Mr. Amaechina said.
He also said plans were on to offset outstanding debts.
“Graciously, PHCN
offered that the debt be spread over months, so that the burden will not
be so much on the traders. So, as you are paying your current bill, you
are also making provision for the outstanding debt,” he said.
NAN reports that traders in the market had been depending on power
generators since 2010 when they had been at loggerheads with the traders
association on the one hand and the AMML on the other.
