Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Power has been directed to expedite investigations into alleged diversion of the $9 billion grant received from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for priority projects by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).
The committee also had the mandate to investigate alleged contract scam by the power company, particularly, the alleged award of numerous inflated contracts without due process.
The lawmakers, who gave the mandate last week, also accused the company of refusing to submit itself to oversight and appropriation by the National Assembly, notwithstanding that the federal government is its majority shareholder.
The House has therefore directed the Committee to conduct thorough investigations into the allegations against the company by conducting an investigative hearing involving all relevant stakeholders to identify constitutional breaches and ascertain the veracity of the alleged infractions by the NDPHC.
The committee is expected to report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative action.
Hon. Mark Terseer Gbillah, in a motion, had accused the company of paying outrageous amounts as wayleave payments to communities with significant cost implications to the government.
The Benue lawmaker said the firm, which manages the utilisation of over $12 billion already approved by the National Assembly and the National Council of State, since its incorporation in 2005, does not submit its annual budget and project plans for appropriation by the National Assembly.
Gbillah observed that: “The NDPH generates an operating surplus which cannot be determined because it is neither divulged nor paid into the coffers of the federal government but rather expended by the company without legislative approval.”
He also noted that 10 power plants were awarded by the NDPHC since 2006 but only a few of the plants had been completed and handed over since 2010. According to the lawmaker, “A local contractor, Rockson Engineering has refused to hand over four power plants it was awarded in controversial circumstances and appears to be holding the federal government to ransom over the completion of the plants while the equipment and infrastructure continue to experience wear and tear due to the protracted delay,”
He expressed worry that the NDPHC appears to believe that it is only accountable to the Office of the Vice President and has therefore refused to subject itself to the oversight and appropriation roles of the National Assembly while its actions and in-actions have adversely affected the power requirements of the country.
NDPHC is a special purpose company owned by the three tiers of the government to implement of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), which was established in 2004 to fast-track the achievement of stable power supply.
The project fraught with delays is yet to deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians that are in dire need of regular power supply, despite billions of dollars injected into the NIPPs.
