Dino Melaye Drags Manitoba‎ to EFCC over Alleged Diversion of N13.8bn

Adedayo‎ Akinwale in Abuja

Anti-Corruption Network, a group founded by Senator Dino Melaye, has written a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged diversion of funds amounting to N13.8 billion and abuse of Public Procurement Act by Manitoba Hydro International Nigeria Limited.

While handing over the letter of petition to the Director of Public Affairs of the agency, Osita Nwaja, at its headquarters in Abuja at the weekend, Melaye stressed that it was the desire of the anti-corruption group to ensure ‎that economic and financial crimes are duly investigated and prosecuted.

He said the company was awarded a management contract to oversee the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s (TCN)‎ assets and liabilities after the privatisation and unbundling of Power Holding Company of Nigeria to generating companies (GENCOS) and distribution companies (DISCOS) by Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) in March, 2012 for a term of three years.

Melaye revealed that the contract was first awarded for $30 million and was subsequently renewed ‎for one more year at the cost of $5.2 million, adding that TCN has over 8,000km of 330kv line and 12,000km of 12kv line connecting many substations within Nigeria.

Against this background, he disclosed that investigations conducted uncovered several economic and financial crimes committed by Manitoba‎ and also outright disregard of best practices in TCN.

Melaye stated: “In 2015 the company fraudulently diverted funds transferred to the tensions for the 2015 trace maintenance.

“The company was involved in splitting of contract to avoid TCN Tenders Board and Ministerial Tenders Board as observed in the case of contract of repairs of telecommunications equipment and power stations: 340kv substations (S1 and S2) which amounts to N247,061,796 and N248,859,350 respectively.”

Further details later