The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an Ad-hoc Committee to carry out a comprehensive investigative hearing on how much money was spent on the Power Sector Reforms Programme over the years without commensurate results and report back within 6 weeks for further legislative action.
This resolution was reached sequel to the a motion on: ‘Need to Review Government Expenditure on the Power Sector to Ensure Sustenance of the Power Reform Programme in Nigeria sponsors by Sada Soli (APC, Katsina).
In his presentation of the motion, Soli stated that, “the House notes that the Electric Power Sector Reform Act was aimed at removing the ineffectiveness of the sector in order to transform it into a more efficiently managed sector.
“Aware that the power sector reform was expected to open opportunities for the development of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, increase access to electricity in processing farm produce; create job opportunities for Nigerian teeming graduates and enhance socio-economic development of the country.
“Recalls that an Investigative Hearing was conducted by the House of Representatives in 2008 over the alleged spending of about $16 Billion U.S. Dollars on the Power Sector.
“Also aware that the set power generation target was that by year 2020 the nation would have achieved 40,000 MW based on the alleged investments in the proposed power plants, but till date, such generation target has eluded the nation.
“Alarmed that the Investigative Hearing further revealed that contracts awarded for the Kainji, Egbin, Afam and Ugheli power stations as well as 9 other such contracts totaling up to $142 million dollars were never executed.
“Also alarmed that contracts awarded of over $50 million dollars to companies that didn’t exist and that two billion dollars ($2bn) worth of energy contracts were also awarded without bidding and due process.
“Acknowledge the lamentation of the President to the effect that such huge sums of billions of dollars could be spent without commensurate results in the generation, transmission and distribution of power supply in the country.
“Cognizance of the provisions of Section 88 (2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which empowers the House of Representatives to expose corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it.
“Worried that up to date no Person, Company or Agency of Government involved in the alleged misappropriation of such huge sums of Billions of dollars has been prosecuted; despite the perennial epileptic power supply and its associated socio-economic consequences for the nation”.
The motion was unanimously endorsed by the House when it was put to voice vote by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila who presided over the plenary.
James Kwen, Abuja
