‘Fashola’s Power Ministry Duplicated N16bn In 2018 Budget’

The Nigerian Senate has uncovered ‘N16 billion’ duplication in the budgets of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and that of the Ministry of Power.

The Senate Committee on Power, on Monday, found that both the power ministry and the TCN individually earmarked N4 billion for Kashimbilla transmission and N12 billion as counterpart funding for transmission lines.

The Minister of State for Power, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, had appeared before the committee to defend his ministry`s budget when the senators found the duplication.

“The N4 billion and N12 billion appeared on TCN budget when they came to defend their budget,” Senator Adamu Aliero of Kebbi central noted.

“Why are you presenting the same now? The figure is misleading,” he told the minister.

Senator Bukar Mustapha in his remark said “Kashimbilla budget has nothing to do with the ministry. There are many, this has been the problem of the power sector.”

Whereas Senator Clifford Ordia (Edo Central) expressed worry that a staggering N888 million was earmarked for vehicles in the ministry’s budget.

“I need to understand this thing. Look at the different pages. You earmarked N120 million, N288 million and N480 million for the purchase of vehicles. I do not understand. Are these vehicles different? If you add up this figure, it gives you about N888 million,” he said.

“You also said that you want to spend N100 million on transfer of office files. How do you intend to do that? The people in your office, what have they been doing?

“I can also see from your estimates here that you captured another item for ICT, different from the N100 million for transfer of files. You need to explain these things.”

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), after the meeting, asked the Minister of Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola to before the panel to address the concerns raised.