The House of Representatives is set to probe the alleged inflation of contract for the Mambila Multi-purpose dam and hydroelectric power project to ascertain the level of transparency and due process compliance in the award of the project.
The federal lawmakers, on Wednesday constituted an ad hoc committee whose mandate will be to investigate the process leading up to the award of the project and identify possible infringements of existing laws in the process.
Following a motion by Rep Austin Chukwukere (APC, Imo), who told the House that the award of the project by the federal government was in sync with its intent to promote economic growth through the power generation increase, the lawmakers deemed it necessary to beam its search light on the project.
The sum of $6.10 million, he said, was estimated for the power project out of which federal government provided 15 percent and the contractor would provide the remaining amount.
In moving the motion, the parliamentarian said: “While the first phase of the project was duly awarded and completed by the companies contracted for the job, the contract for the second phase was alleged to have been awarded by the then minister of power without recourse to due process.
“The alleged contract was awarded at the cost of USD6 billion, apparently without recourse to competitive bidding, which is the hallmark of diligence, transparency and accountability in the award of such huge contracts.”
He said the lawmakers were concerned that the reforms in the power sector so far have not yielded the required capacity for the sustenance of stable power generation, distribution, and transmission.
Upon this submission, therefore, the lawmakers also asked the federal government to give the project all the needed attention so as to realise the goals for the privatization.