Probe of Obasanjo, GEJ and Others Finally Begins

The Senate will today begin an inquest into alleged mismanagement of funds appropriated to the power sector from the Olusegun Obasanjo civilian administration to date.

Goodluck Jonathan, Late Musa Y'ardua and Olusegun Obasanjo

 

A statement by the Clerk of Senate ad hoc Committee on Power, Cletus Ojabo has revealed that the senate will begin the probe of past administrations on alleged misappropriation of funds allocated to the power sector.

 

According to the Vanguard, the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo has been fingered as well as that of the immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan and the late Musa Y'ardua.

 

The power sector probe will be in the form of investigative hearing/interactive session, just as there was an indication that former ministers of power will also be in attendance.

According to Ojabo, the investigation would centre on funds appropriated for the power sector since 1999 and the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, adding: “ It is expected that all those who played key roles in the power sector since 1999, including ministers and heads of government departments and parastatals, will appear before the panel.”
It will be recalled that Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had last month announced a 13-man ad hoc committee to carry out a holistic investigation into the management of funds appropriated to the power sector from the Olusegun Obasanjo civilian administration to date.

Senator Saraki had urged members of the committee to consider their reputation and integrity and come up with a report that would be acceptable to Nigerians. He lamented that a lot of money had been spent on the sector with no results, while Nigeria is still faced with the challenge of power supply.

The committee, which has Senator Abubakar Kyari, (APC Borno North) as chairman, was also saddled with the responsibility of looking into irregularities in the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN and to also probe how the Obasanjo, Umaru Yar‘Adua and Jonathan administrations managed funds allocated to the sector.