Chief Executives avoiding N20bn Renewable Energy Sector’s Probe — Reps

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy expressed displeasure as Chief Executive Officers of relevant agencies dodged a probe on usage of $2 billion renewable energy grants in the country.
The Chairman of the committee, Rep. Victor Afam, at the investigative hearing on Tuesday in Abuja, warned them not to take the parliament for granted.
He said the caution became necessary as only two of the 25 CEOs of relevant government agencies and private sector organisation invited for the hearing appeared.
The agencies whose CEO failed to appear include, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited Renewable Energy Projects, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA)
Others are National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), NASENI Solar Energy Ltd. the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Also included is the Federal Ministry of Power, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance, Office Auditor General of the Federation, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company and the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Others are, the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management, Niger Delta Development Commission, the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Office Accountant General of the Federation were also absent.
Afam said that the parliament is empowered by the Constitution to conduct hearing, obtain information from for the purpose to good governace and effective use of resources.
He said that the committee had written to all the CEOs inviting them to the hearing and also wrote a follow-up letters to all of them.
The lawmaker said that the hearing was not a witch-hunt neither was it to indict any organisation saying that there is no need to run away.
Afam, however, said that it will not be business as usual saying that the committee will not take it lying down with any agency’ CEO that refuses to honour invitation to answer questions in line with the provisions of the Constitution.