NASS will demand accountability in power sector – Lawan
NASS will Demand Accountability in Power Sector – Lawan
Left
to right - Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Gabriel Suswam (left);
Managing Director of Nigerian Delta Power Holding Company, Chiedu Ugbo and
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, during a courtesy visit by the management
of the power holding company to the Senate President
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has said the Ninth
National Assembly will insist on accountability and transparency in the power sector, particularly in the application of funds proposed for it in the 2020
budget.
Lawan stated this on Monday when the Managing Director of
the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Joseph Chiedu Ugbo, led a delegation on
a visit to the National Assembly, Abuja.
According to Lawan, the Senate and House Committees
through the instrument of oversight will ensure the prudent application of all
funds channelled to the power sector.
The Senate President said that the Federal Government had
severally been short-changed in agreements entered into with generating and
distribution companies in the past.
He, however, warned that those behind short-changing the
government through power deals will be held accountable for their actions.
He said, “One of the challenges Nigeria is faced with
today and for a very long time in the area of development is power. Until we
are able to fix the power situation, development will continue to be difficult
to achieve.
“This is one area we will continue to give priority to
ensure we are able to meet the targets. It’s not going to be easy, but the
Government of President Muhammadu Buhari has shown clear determination in
ensuring we get power fixed.
“The power sector has been surrounded with controversies
for a long time. When the NIPP started, so many things were said; some of which
are true.
“Expenditures were made in the past, and we did not see
commensurate results from the expenditures. It is something to worry about.
“Some persons also have the tendencies to sign agreements
that sometimes are clearly against the national interest. Time has come for
people to stop doing this.
“In most cases, the Federal Government was shortchanged
in some of the agreements signed by the people. I really don’t know what they
were thinking.
“We need to be very careful. Time will come when people
will be held responsible for their actions.
“Billions of dollars will just disappear like that, and
there still won’t be power. This National Assembly will not close its eyes or
not take any action if our nation is shortchanged.
“We are very
concerned with what is happening in the power sector because personally we have
not realised the best deal at all.
“In most cases, the deals were against the national
interest, against the people and against the country.
“What we have are a few companies that are milking this
country dry. I think we must insist on getting value for money.
“The kind of money sunk into the power sector will not
only provide light for Nigeria but also the neighbouring countries.
“The Senate and House Committees on Power will look to
see how we can make a difference this time around because we intend to monitor
closely any money put in the budget. We want to see such money prudently
applied,” Lawan said.
Right
to Left - Managing Director of Nigerian Delta Power Holding Company, Chiedu
Ugbo (right); President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Leader of the Senate,
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi; Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u, and
Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Gabriel Suswam, during the visit
Earlier, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power
Holding Company, Chiedu Ugbo, said the NPDC was set up in 2005 to bridge the
infrastructure gap in electric power supply industry.
“We started with ten generation plants and then moved on
to transmission to ensure power distribution gets to the end-users,” he said.
On the visiting delegation of NDPHC are Babayo Shehu,
Executive Director, Finance and Accounts; Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Executive Director,
Engineering/Technical; Mahmud Mohammed, Company Secretary and Legal Adviser;
Nkechi Mba, General Manager, Procurement, and Mohammed Bunza, General Manager,
Communications and Public Relations.
President
of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan (middle) in a group photograph with the management
of the Nigerian Delta Power Holding Company and some senators
Senators present during the visit are: the Leader of the
Senate, Yahaya Abdullahi; Deputy Majority Leader, Ajayi Boroffice; Deputy
Minority Whip, Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Power,
Suswam Gabriel.
Others are: Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber
Crime, Yakubu Oseni; Chairman, Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and
Productivity, Benjamin Uwajumogu, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Youth
Development, Kola Balogun.
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