Power: Senate probes N1.8trn intervention fund

The Senate is probing over N1.8 trillion Federal Government interventions in the Power Sector since the privatisation of the sector from 2012 to date.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Sen. Gabriel Suswam made this known at a meeting with members of the Committee on Thursday in Abuja.

The meeting was on the Power Sector Recovery Plan and the Impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

The chairman, who said that the three-day hearing would begin next week, recalled that the Senate had a motion on the floor where the committee was mandated based on that motion to investigate comprehensively the power sector, especially in areas as it related to the intervention.

Suswam said that the Committee would investigate all interventions in the sector since the privatisation of the sector to date with a view to ascertaining the adequacy of such interventions and their desired impact.

“We are looking at the intervention and whether corporate governance had been introduced since privatisation because the expectation is that the sector will become efficient, unfortunately, that is not the case.

“You know that the Federal Government had over the years intervened at various times in different sums: N701 billion, N600 billion and this year there has been N380 billion and N213 billion.

“All of these monies were Federal Government interventions in the power sector with the intention and hope that the power sector will become efficient and Nigerians will have access to electricity.

“Unfortunately, in spite of this huge amount of monies that have been expended, the result is what we see today is that the performance is below expectations,” Suswam added.

He, however, noted that the investigation would not be punitive, but intended to identify the reasons for efficiency and underperformance in terms of unstable and inadequate electricity supply in the sector in spite of the huge financial interventions by government.

Suswam said other objectives of the investigation was to assist President Muhammadu Buhari to achieve his promise to Nigerians of providing them with adequate and stable power supply.

ALSO READ: Rape: Ministry of Justice has been silent on my case ― Busola Dakolo

“The investigation is intended to identify why this intervention have come and there has been no improvement.

“This is so that at the end of the day, the leadership of the Senate will present that to the President of this country, who has shown a lot of commitment to providing electricity to Nigerians,” he said.

He listed those agencies to appear before the committee to include the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) because most of the interventions of government came from these two bodies.

Others, Suswam said are the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET), Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Presidential Power Initiative among others.

NAN

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Buy and read digital replicas of your TRIBUNE titles by subscribing through E-VENDING

Ministry Of Defence, Others Make Presentations As Buhari Presides Over Virtual FEC
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday presided over the third virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Ministries of Defence, Environment, Works and Housing as well as Finance, Budget and National… Read full story

How 19-Year-Old Barakat Was Allegedly Raped, Killed In Ibadan
Dejected, weary, Barakat’s mother, Mrs Kafayat Bello, lay on the floor mourning the loss of her daughter. Mrs Bello had returned on Monday evening to see her daughter lying in the pool of her own blood at the backyard of their home. Her 19-year old daughter had said to have been allegedly raped and killed by suspected… Read full story

Rivers, Cross River, Ondo, Osun, Bayelsa Get Refund Of N148bn Spent On Federal Roads, Bridges
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) at a virtual meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved the refund of about N148,141,987,161.25 expended by five states to… Read full story

Lagos Begins Symbolic Pupils’ Enrollment For 2020/2021 Session
THE Lagos State government has begun symbolic enrollment of pupils into early childhood care and development class in public schools in the state. Chairman of the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Wahab Alawiye-King, performed the symbolic registration as part of activities to mark this year’s Children’s Day… Read full story

Cleanup Starts At 57 Sites In Ogoni Land ― Minister
The Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, says no fewer than 57 sites at Ogoni land in Rivers are being cleaned up currently. Abubakar made the disclosure while speaking with State House correspondents on Wednesday in Abuja, saying that he had presented a report on the ministry’s mandate to a meeting of the… Read full story

COVID-19: NCoS Reopens Custodial Centres For Admission Of Inmates
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) announced the reopening of Custodial Centres to admit all categories of inmates. Controller General of Corrections, Ja’afaru Ahmed, who ordered the reopening of the Custodial Centres, on Wednesday, in Abuja, said the action became imperative to enhance access to justice and… Read full story

Community Policing Takes Off In Lagos
Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday inaugurated the State Community Policing Advisory Committee (SCPAC) and its operations arm, State Community Policing Committee (SCPC), aimed at improving security in all communities across the state… Read full story

Auxiliary, Oyo Park Managers Sign Undertaking Against Drivers’ Harassment, Fake Ticketing
Aimed at curtailing their reported excesses, park managers in Oyo State, on Wednesday, were made to sign an undertaking binding them to adhere to stipulated rules of engagement or face disciplinary measures. As contained in the letter of undertaking, signed at the state secretariat, Ibadan, the park managers are not to engage… Read full story

Ibuprofen Tested As Coronavirus Treatment
Scientists are running a trial to see if ibuprofen can help hospital patients who are sick with coronavirus. According to a BBC report, the team from London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital and King’s College believe the drug, which is an anti-inflammatory as well as a painkiller, could treat breathing difficulties… Read full story

There Is Nothing As ‘State Of Osun’, Court Insists
Justice Mathias Agboola of the Osun State High Court on Wednesday insisted that legally and constitutionally there is nothing called “State of Osun”. He declared that under the Nigerian constitution, only Osun State exists. Delivering judgment in Osogbo in a suit filed by a human rights activist, Barrister Kanmi Ajibola against… Read full story

Osun Governor Okays Reopening Of Churches, Mosques For Two Weeks
Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State on Wednesday held separate meetings with Christian and Muslim leaders in the state on guidelines for reopening of churches and mosques across the state for two weeks. He disclosed that the decision to reopen worship centres partially was in response to the request by religious… Read full story

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE