Tashikalmah Hallah & Francis Okeke
10 October 2008
The report of the House of Representatives Committee on Power which probed spending on the power sector during the Obasanjo years was laid on the table yesterday after many months' delay.
The committee, headed by Mr. Godwin Ndudi Elumelu, had probed $16 billion allegedly spent on power generation, transmission and distribution between June 1999 and May 2007 "without commensurate results." The report was received amidst cheers and backslapping from his colleagues.
Elumelu (PDP, Delta) got an ovation from his colleagues when the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole called on him to move a motion for the presentation of the report. The Chairman moved the motion and was seconded by Rep Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi (PDP, Enugu). Elumelu however stunned Members when he brought out a big travel bag which contained the report and laid it on the table.
The report which had generated so much controversy and fuelled speculations came in eight volumes and was dramatically carried into plenary in a big travel bag.
Volume one of the report contains the "operational processes, findings, summary of recommendations and conclusions" while volumes two, three, four and five contain the "appendices, status reports of NIPP projects, status of PHCN projects and status reports of NNPC joint venture power projects", respectively.
The remaining volumes capture the "status reports on PHCN host generation legacy plants (re-powering and rehabilitation) projects, overview report of REA projects and album of picture images of some ailing or failed projects" in that order.
The report came in more than ten copies of spiral bound documents, 17 DVDs and one VHS cassette.
Although the report was not officially made public by the House leadership, Daily Trust learnt that the Committee in its recommendations indicted fifteen (15) companies that handled the controversial National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), Power Holding Company of Nigeria Plc (PHCN) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
Also indicted, Daily Trust learnt, were former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Ministers of Power Chief Liyel Imoke and Dr Olusegun Agagu, former Minister of State for Power Alhaji Ahmed Abdulhamid, Engineer Joseph Makoju, Engr. G.O.P Osakue, CEO TCN, Engr. C.N.O Nwachukwu, Chairman Technical Committee and General Project Manager (NIPP) and Mr. J.A. Olotu, Managing Director, NDPHC/NIPP. They were all recommended for investigation by the EFCC and ICPC.
The Committee in its recommendation to the House said the former President should be called to "account for the recklessness in power sector during his time' and further asked both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate him.
However, five companies, Messrs Rockson Engineering, Pivot Engineering, Marubeni International, Lahmeyer International and Energo Nigeria Ltd have gone to court to challenge the power of the House of Representatives to investigate monies spent but not appropriated by the National Assembly.
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