Reps Summon Ministers Of Finance, Power, Others Over Monthly Payment Of $33 Million To Azura
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By Adedayo Said
The House of Representatives has invited the Ministers of Power, Finance and heads of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), over a $33 million Azura power purchase agreement.
Other agencies invited include Nigeria Bulk Electricity Transmission (NBET), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
James Faleke, chairman, House of Reps Committee on Finance, investigating the alleged breach of agreement and perennial power failure in the country, invited the heads of all the agencies in Abuja on Tuesday.
Mr Faleke said the agencies would be brought before the committee to explain their role in the power deal, adding that the appropriate date for their appearance before the committee would be communicated to the affected agencies.
On August 19, the committee discovered that the country was committed to a monthly payment of $33 million in a take or pay deal.
The committee, however, discovered that Azura Power Plant had not been able to deliver the 450 megawatts of electricity agreed with TCN to the national grid since the contract was signed.
Mr Faleke, however, told the managing director of TCN, Sule Abdulazeez, to present its budget allocation from 2002 to date and the contract awarded and the certificates by TCN on the power transmission line.
He said if Azura would demand money in dollars from power being generated, Nigeria should also demand money from Azura in dollars for power being used from the national grid.
The committee also asked TCN to provide its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from 2010, including its audit report, while also picking holes in the IGR being spent by TCN outside budgetary provision.
(NAN)
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