The House of Representatives’ Ad-Hoc Committee set up to investigate alleged non-transparent and fraudulent sale of power assets by the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) on Thursday vowed to discharge its duties without fear or favour.
Consequently, the Committee has summoned BPE; the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Federal Ministry of Power, the Distribution Companies, the Generation Companies and the Transmission Company of Nigerian (TCN) for questioning.
Also, invited are all successful and non successful bidders for the assets, the consultants, the lawyers and all persons that were instrumental in the sale in order to furnish the committee with relevant information on the investigation.
The Committee Chairman, Hon Idris Ahmed who disclosed this during a press conference at the National Assembly, regretted that, “the lofty goals of privitalisation was marred by sale of the sector to preferred bidders that could not pay the bid value on the sale, instead of BPE encouraged the deferment of payment and restructuring of payment terms in contravention of bidding rules to the disadvantage of other bidders.”
Ahmed also regretted that all gains in the exercise were lost through alleged corruption, manipulation of rules and disregard to extant laws and lack of transparency in the exercise.
“House was worried at the lack of due process in the alleged payment. Of 23.6million dollars per annum on contract award to Manitoba Hydro International (MHI) of Canada to manage the transmission company of Nigeria for four years after which it was terminated due to non-performance, without any recourse,” the Chairman said.
The Committee was set up following a motion on, “the need to investigate the alleged Non-Transparent and Fraudulent Sale of Power Assets by the BPE” on Wednesday 14th October, 2015.
Ahmed said, “Having waited for this long, the Committee is poised to discharge this assignment without fear or favour. We are determined to abide by the oath of office to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, and all other extant laws of the country. The interest of Nigerian people is paramount and we will do just that.”
According to him, the committee is conducting a public hearing on December 7, 2016 where all general public and stakeholders in the power sector would gather to provide the necessary information regarding the investigation.
Comments