Reps begin power sector probe, summon TCN, BPP, NERC, others

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday declared open, a public hearing of the House Ad hoc Committee constituted to investigate abandoned power projects and review Federal Government's expenditure in the sector since 1999.

The committee invited the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Bureau of Public Procurement, the TCN, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company Limited and others for interrogation.

The speaker, represented by Chief Whip Muhammad Tahir Monguno, said despite the huge sums of monies appropriated by the National Assembly for the power sector since 1999, there were lots and much to be desired from the sector.

Gbajabiamila said: “The problem is you and I; we are not patriotic enough in the discharge of our responsibilities to our nation, Nigeria.

"In the course of carrying out this assignment, the ýcommittee is at liberty in line with Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to invite any organisation, agency, persons either still in active service or retired to make clarification where necessary.”

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Linus Edozien, said the ministry had directed all its agencies to submit details of their activities to the committee over the years. Engineer Geoffrey Nwoteoye of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, told the committee that the TCN was being owed billions of naira by the distribution companies, saying this had affected its revenue.

The chairman of the committee, Tajuddeen Abbas, represented by Usman Bello Kumo,ý said the committee would unravel the mystery behind the proliferation of abandoned projects at the expense of power generation and distribution in the country.