Elumelu exposes multi-billion naira power sector fraud

A former member of the House of Representatives and chairman, House adhoc committee on the power sector probe during the sixth National Assembly, Godwin Ndudi Elumelu, yesterday, gave an insight into how government officials and contractors allegedly connived in the past, to fleece the federal government of trillions of naira.

Consequently, Elemuelu, whose committee unraveled multi-billion naira fraud in the power sector, has advised members of the Senate Adhoc Committee probing the nation’s power sector, to shun ethnic and geopolitical consideration and put Nigeria first, if the exercise must achieve the desired results that will benefit the country.

He told journalists in his Abuja office that the power sector had been used by cabals in connivance with government officials to bleed the nation to a near death, adding that a situation where government would spend $1.545 billion on nine gas turbines, when 18 of the same equipment were bought for $404 million within a short period, was evil and a rape of the nation’s economy.

He said: “From Kubwa to Katampe sub-station, there is a transmission line. When we checked the cost of the line, we found that it was over-inflated. Then, another mind-boggling discovery was made where 18 turbines were procured for $404 million. Then, when additional nine turbines were needed, they now spent $1.545 billion on them. Is that sane for anybody to comprehend?

“Power sector probe requires lots of commitment and dedication for one to get out of it unhurt. So, I am happy that the Senate came up again with it, because it’s quite disheartening to see that, with what has been expended on the sector, we are still battling to generate just about 3,500 megawatts of electricity.
“In the course of doing our investigation, we travelled to Brazil for a comparative assessment public investment in electricity and we found out that, what they spent to achieve stable electricity was far less that than what we had spent; but had nothing to show for it.

“In Brazil, Geometric Power told me that they spent $12 billion to generate 12,000 megawatts and it is working very well. As at that time, Nigerian government had already spent close to $16 billion generating between 2,500 to 3,000 megawatts of electricity.”
He, therefore, urged the Senate to do more by going in-depth in their probe. He, however, expressed fear that those responsible for the nation’s power generation woes will not rest on their oars by planting agents in the committee for the purpose of sabotaging the exercise.

Sun