A human rights advocacy crew, Socio-Financial Rights, and Accountability Project, on Wednesday, launched a train detailing how over N11tn had been pumped into the energy sector since 1999 with none result to trace for it.
The crew, within the 65-web page train it launched in Lagos, concluded that the funds had been squandered below the administrations of light Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umar Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.
Within the train titled, “From darkness to darkness: How Nigerians are paying the worth for corruption within the electricity sector,” SERAP concluded that the perennial heart-broken energy supply within the country used to be proof of corruption within the energy sector.
It called for the probe and prosecution of determined predominant actors within the energy sector, including a delicate governor of Sinful River Affirm, Liyel Imoke, and Prof. Chinedu Nebo, for his or her alleged roles within the energy sector scam.
The crew acknowledged, “The Obasanjo’s administration spent $10bn on NIPP with no ends in relation to amplify in energy technology. $13.278,937,409.94 used to be expended on the energy sector in eight years whereas unfunded commitments amounted to $12bn.
“The Federal Govt then budgeted a whopping N16bn for the slightly an excellent deal of reforms below Liyel Imoke (2003- 2007) which went down the drain because it didn’t generate the wished amount of electricity or meet the position needs.”
Presenting the train back to journalists on Wednesday on behalf of SERAP, an associate professor of Vitality/Electrical energy Law at the College of Lagos, Yemi Oke, acknowledged, “The country has lost more megawatts within the post-privatisation generation due to corruption, impunity, amongst other social challenges as mirrored within the train.
“The mighty-publicised energy sector reforms in Nigeria, below the Electric Energy Sector Reform Act of 2005, maintain but to yield desired and anticipated fruits largely due to corruption and impunity of perpetrators, regulatory lapses, and policy inconsistencies. Weird and wonderful Nigerians continue to pay the worth for corruption within the electricity sector–staying in darkness, nonetheless gentle made to pay loopy electricity funds.”
On the match, which held in Ikeja, a human rights felony reliable, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), recommended SERAP for the venture, vowing to hasten upon the ideas within the train back to institute relevant staunch actions in opposition to the authorities.
Falana, who used to be the chairman on the occasion, acknowledged, “This train is a must learn, and I promise to lead within the conform to-up litigation efforts to gain determined the fleshy implementation of the ideas of the train.”
The performing Chairman of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Price, Ibrahim Magu, used to be represented on the occasion by the Director, Public Affairs, EFCC, Mr. Osita Nwajah, who promised that the anti-graft agency would detect into the ideas contained within the train.
Amongst other ideas, SERAP suggested that federal lawmakers must desist from manipulating the award of electricity contracts below the guise of constituency initiatives.