Lawmakers move to probe abandoned power projects

The House of Representatives has set up an ad hoc committee to probe abandoned power projects by the Federal Ministry of Power since 2018. The panel is to revert in four weeks for further legislative action.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the “Need to Investigate the Failure of the Federal Government’s 3.4 Billion Naira Solar Powered Grid Project in the Six Geo-Political Zones and the Federal Capital Territory” moved by Aniekan Umanah at plenary.

Presenting the motion, the sponsor recalled that the then Ministry of Power, in 2013, rolled out an off-grid renewable solar energy project codenamed Operation Light up Rural Nigeria (OLRN) with a budget of N3.446 billion for 2013 to 2016.

“The project was targeted at four communities of Durumi-Mpape, Waru, Shape in the FCT as pilot scheme with plans to expand the scope later to other states of the federation,” he added.

Umanah noted that with the coming on board of the current administration in 2015, the project was rechristened Renewable Energy (Solar) Micro Utility (REMU) by the then Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and expanded to provide additional 18 mini grids, three each in every of the nation’s six geopolitical zones.