Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Power yesterday queried Minister of State for Power, Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, over failure of the ministry to utilise half of the money released by the Ministry of Finance in the 2012 budget to improve power supply in the country.

Speaking during the 2013 budget defence of the ministry in Abuja yesterday, committee chair Rep. Patrick Ikharehale (PDP, Edo) questioned why the ministry could not utilise the money even with one month to the end of the fiscal year. The committee expressed concern that despite the effort of President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that power generation is improved and backing this with the budgetary provision of over N75.464 billion with the released of over N34.765 billion only N19.763 was utilized. Meanwhile, the minister told the panel that the controversial $23.7 million electricity transmission management contract, which was awarded to a Canadian firm, Manitoba Hydro International (MHI) was not revoked .