The House of Representatives, yesterday, heard of how the sum of $3.4 billion was deducted from the treasury of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to fund National Integrated power Projects (NIPPs) between 2004 and 2007
Representative of the association’s chairman and Executive Secretary of Legislative Watch, Ngozika Ihuoma, who made the disclosure in Abuja, claimed that the funds were not judiciously deployed.
He spoke while appearing before the Joint Committee on Power, Privatisation and Commercialisation at its one-day investigative public hearing on the planned privatisation of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) power plants.
The respondent’s revelations taken under oath were, however, stepped down by the panel chairman, Magaji Aliyu, who explained that the lawmakers got no authorisation from the ALGON chairman, David Agba, for Ihuoma to appear for him.
But the members differed, insisting on hearing from Ihuoma since his exposure was apt and helpful to the work of the committee. He was eventually asked to take his leave.
In another dramatic scenario, Aliyu ordered the sergeant-at-arms to walk out the Director General of Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), Mamman Ahmadu, for seeking more information about the probe.
The chairman’s fury followed the DG’s representation by his Chief of Staff (CoS), whom he argued was junior to a director, who had started testifying before the CoS disrupted proceedings.
The Minister of Power, Salleh Mamman, failed to make a presentation, as his representative told the panel that their submissions would be ready in a week.
The committee thereafter adjourned to a later date for heads of relevant agencies of government to appear in person
