Bayelsa Spends N50m Monthly On Electricity

Soji Ajibola, Yenagoa - 02.02.2008

THE Bayelsa State Government spends an average of N50 million monthly to offset the electricity bill of over 1.6 million people residing in the state.

The state remains the only one throughout the federation where people use electricity both for domestic and commercial purposes free.

In an interview with the newsmen on Friday, the state Commissioner for Energy, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, said the amount voted for the payment of the electricity bill would have been channeled into other sectors such as education and health.

The commissioner explained that since the state was connected to the national grid in 2006, it has since commenced the payment of the bill, which has run into billions of naira.

Sensitising the people on the need to cultivate the habit of payment of the bill, he said the money saved would be channeled into capital projects, which would benefit the people.