GROUPS SEND POWER PROBE REPORT TO EFCC, ICPC

By NBF News

Five human rights groups have presented the reports of the investigation by the House of Representatives on the power sector to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Commission (ICPC), Hon Justice Olayinka Ayoola.

The groups also met with Mr Salawu Bello of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), who represented the Director of Operations.

The groups are the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja Branch, Center for the Rule of Law (CENTROLAW), and the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADL).

In a statement jointly signed by SERAP Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni; CDHR President Olasupo Ojo; NBA Ikeja Branch Adebamigbe Omole; NADL Vice President Titilope Akosa; and CENTROLAW Director of Programs, Tejumade Oke, the groups said they met with the ICPC boss where they presented to him the power probe report as well as ' the non-remittance of received public revenue into the federation account by ministries, departments and agencies between 2003 and 2008'

The right groups said that Hon. Justice Ayoola promised to urgently work on the reports.

At the EFCC, we met with Mr Salawu Bello, who did not know whether the reports were already submitted to the EFCC but promised to make enquiries on this and get back to us. Nevertheless, we gave him copies of the two reports.'

The groups quoted a portion of the Report as saying, 'What senior officials and politicians did is an economic crime against humanity which has caused Nigerians not only financial loss but also inestimable mental and physical suffering'.

They also said that the power probe report recommended former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Senator Liyel Imoke. Former Minister of Power and Steel; Alhaji Abdulhamid Ahmed. Former Minister of State for Energy; Dr. Olusegun Agagu. Former Minister of Power and Steel; Engr. Joseph Makoju. Former Managing Director of PHCN; Engr. G.O.P. Osakue. CEO Transmission Company of Nigeria. (TCN); Engr. Dr. C. E. Ifesie. Project Manager NIPP; Engr. Mike Ezeudenna. AGM TCN; Engr. C. N. O. Nwachukwu. Chair Technical Committee of NIPP; and Mr. J. A. Olotu MD, NIPP and others for prosecution by the EFCC and the ICPC.

The groups also alleged that the report on the investigation into non-remittance of received public Revenue into the Federation Account by MDAs between 2003 and 2008 indicated that several billins of Naira was diverted into private purse.