The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola has responded to the claims made by Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, who claimed that the Power Ministry, diverting $35million to the Afam Fast Project without the approval of National Assembly as untrue.
In a Statement signed by the Minister, he said the Senator could have simply written to the Ministry to verify, rather than make “unverifiable allegations” against the Ministry.
Fashola, who is now being summoned by the Senate added that he and his Ministry has done nothing wrong and would cooperate with the Investigating Committee when called upon.
“For now, it suffices for members of the public to note that I wasn’t a Minister in 2013, and that when Government raises a Debt like the Eurobond, it is the Debt Management Office that manages the Debt and not the Ministry.
“The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) had on Monday, 6th November 2017 issued a Statement on the Front Page of The Nation Newspaper explaining that the money was not missing, stating also that the $350 million had been invested and that interest had even accrued on the money.”
He also accused Melaye of having ulterior motive, as the Senator initially made it a petition but later turned it to a motion.
“If there was no ulterior motive for the allegation, this was enough reason for a reconsideration of the presentation of the motion on the floor of the Senate on the 8th of November 2017.
“But the story seemed to have changed from “missing money” last week, to a “desperate attempt to retrieve the money “, this week.
“They offered to do this by providing Nigeria with mobile turbines of 600MW if we could find a location with Gas and Transmission evacuation infrastructure. The Afam Power Station fitted because it had transmission and evacuation facilities but all its turbines had been virtually run down.”
The Senator had moved a motion last week Thursday, saying there is a “desperate attempt” by the Ministry to retrieve the fund and divert to the same power project.
“There is now a desperate attempt by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to retrieve this fund and divert same to fund the so-called Fast Power Projects which the Ministry has already spent $35 million of public funds not appropriated by the National Assembly.
“The Ministry has spent so far $35 million on the Afam fast power project that has no appropriation or feasibility studies. How and when was this money appropriated, we need to find out. Out of this money, $29 million was purportedly paid to General Electric for turbines while $6 million was paid to others.”
He concluded that the Minister should be called to account for the funds spent on the Power Project and the Senate adopted the motion after a voice not by the President.
