REA Denies N42bn Fraud Allegation

REA Denies N42bn Fraud Allegation
By Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja

 

The management of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has stated that it has nothing to hide in the award of the N42 billion electrification contracts in nine universities across Nigeria.

This was the position of the acting Managing Director, REA, Mr. Mohammed Wasaram, when he fielded questions from the House of Representatives joint investigative committee on Power and Public Procurement.

The federal lawmakers had invited the agency to the investigative hearing during the week to provide relevant contract document regarding the awarded contracts.

Though the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, REA, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, who was on maternity leave, was absent at the meeting.

Wasaram, who appeared before the committee alongside other directors of the agency, was however mandated to furnish the committee with certificate of evaluation, letter of no objection received by REA from the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), letter of attestation submitted by the contractors’ bankers and affidavit by the contractors that no REA director was a shareholder.

The duo of the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Power, Hon. Daniel Asuquo and Chairman, House Committee on Public Procurement, Hon. Oluwole Oke, who co-chaired the Tuesday investigative committee, however asked Sterling and Wilson Nigeria Limited and METKA West Africa Limited who are the beneficiaries of the contract to appear before it next Tuesday.

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