SENATE said yesterday that
it has discovered $1.035billion
alleged fraud in the Federal
Ministry of Works, Power
and Housing and therefore
indicated interest to investigate
the scam.
This followed a point of
Order 42 of the Senate Standing
Rule raised by Senator Dino
Melaye (APC Kogi West), who
informed his colleagues during
plenary that the ministry got
about $1 billion from the Euro
bond issued by the federal
government in 2013.
The Senate President, Dr.
Bukola Saraki, also gave nod
to the request of Melaye to
sponsor a substantive motion
on the allegation at the next
legislative day on Tuesday,
November 7.
According to Melaye, $350
million was given to IBEX in
2014 by the administration of
former President Goodluck
Jonathan.
He, however, alleged that
the said money is being stolen
installmentally by officials of the
ministry presently manned by a
former Lagos State Governor,
Mr. Babatunde Fashola.
“In line with the anticorruption
posture of this
chamber, especially now that
our cries and observation are
yielding evidence as expressly
manifested in the case of
Babachir Lawal, Today, I bring
to the attention of this Senate,
a monumental fraud in the
power sector.
“In July 2013, the federal
government raised N1 billion
from a Euro bond issue. From
the proceeds, $350 million was
given to IBEX in 2014. This
money was installmentally
stolen”, Melaye alleged.
The lawmaker alleged that in
2016, the ministry came up with
a project, named Fast Power,
explaining that it was supposed
to build new generating plants
to add to the national power
grid.
Melaye reminded his
colleagues that the National
Assembly did not approve any
expenditure by the ministry
and wondered why its officials
were spending without the
approval of the parliament.
“As I speak to you, Mr.
President, sometime last year
again, the ministry of power
came up with the project
they termed Fast Power. This
indigested project is supposed
to build new generating plants
to add power to our grid.
“There are few questions
I need to ask to bring a
substantive motion up in
another legislative day. Up till
date, there are no details to
build this new generating plant
or feasibility study. There is no
appropriation by the National
Assembly for this project.
“The ministry has spent
$35 million on the affirmed
Fast Power project that has no
appropriation or no detailed
feasibility study. How and when
was this money appropriated?
Out of this money, $29 million
was purportedly paid to
General Electric for turbines,
while $6 million was paid to
others. This amount, amongst
others, is a monumental
fraud. We need the Senate to
investigate this after moving for
a substantive motion”.
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