The House of Representatives, Committee on Power has questioned the 127 billion niara budgeted for the Ministry of Power in the 2020 appropriation bill.
The committee, chaired by Aliyu Dau queried the Minister of Power Saleh Mamman and the Permanent Secretary, Louis Edozien during the ministry’s budget defence.
The Lawmakers raised worries that the government is spending funds on the planned Mambilla Hydropower Project plant which was conceived over 40 years.
Edozien explained that some things had to be carried out before the project would be materialised.
The Permanent Secretary reiterated that Presidents Buhari and Xi Jinping agreed, in 2018, that the Chinese Export Import Bank would fund 85 per cent of the expected cost and the Federal Government will finance 15 per cent.
A member of the committee Sada Soli also suggested that the project be taken out of the ministry and given a “special purpose vehicle” if it were to be realised.
