Posted by By Oluokun Ayorinde/Abuja on
After many months of delay, the Ndudi Elumelu-led House of Representatives Committee on Power, today, finally presented its report on the probe of spending in the power sector during the eight years of former president Olusegun Obasanjo's administration to the House. The presentation of the report was the only item in the House schedule this morning.
After many months of delay, the Ndudi Elumelu-led House of Representatives Committee on Power, today, finally presented its report on the probe of spending in the power sector during the eight years of former president Olusegun Obasanjo's administration to the House. The presentation of the report was the only item in the House schedule this morning.
The House of Representatives had in January this year mandated the Committee to investigate why over $16 billion spent on various projects in the power sector form 1999 to May 2007 failed to result in improvement in electricity supply to Nigerians.
The Committee, led by Honourable Elumelu, had held public hearings and visited sites of the various on going power projects to accomplish its task.
But the job of the Committee has been marred by allegations of bribery and this stalled the presentation of the report even though it was ready some months ago. The House, last month, mandated its Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate the bribery allegations against the Committee.
The Committee, in its report presented to the House yesterday, said the allegations were unfounded. Vice Chairman of the Ethics and Privileges Committee, Hon. John Kalipa, who presented the report, said attempt to get the media houses which published stories of the bribery allegation against the Elumelu Committee were unsuccessful as the reporters who wrote the stories failed to respond to summons served on them.
He added that the committee interviewed members of the Power Probe committee and none of them confirmed the allegation. Kalipa added that the committee also found out that the serial publication of the purported report of the power probe committee could not be said to be the true report of the Elumelu committee.
This paved the way for the Elumelu Committee to present its report to the House this morning. There was a wide applause as the Speaker of the House, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, called Elumelu to move the motion for laying of the report on the table.
The motion was supported by every member of the House and there was a mild drama as Elemelu brought out a travel bag containing the report which were in several volumes and CD Roms and lifted it up to wide applause from members.
He then proceeded to lay the reports on the table at about 11.45 a.m. No date has been fixed for the discussion of the report. Bankole has, however, said indications from the Finance Committee is that the reported $16 billion spent on the power sector by the Obasanjo administration was 'peanuts' compared to what was spent.