.Grill NCC,NSIA, NMDPRA, others
The House of Representatives Committee on Finance on Monday queried the Vice Chairman/ Commissioner, Market Competition & Rates, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC ), Engr Musliu Olalekan and other officials of the agency over the N39 billion mass metering contract awarded to Ziglasses Nigerian Limited by the Federal Ministry of Power.
The House Committee also invited the Managing Director of the company and bank official involved in the deal to unfailingly appear before the panel within 72 hours.
Chairman of the House Committee Hon James Faleke who issued the order at the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper MTEF/FSP interactive session with Ministries Departments and Agencies MDAs said that since NERC is the one that licenses the electricity distribution companies, they gave them the authority to operate so should bring them.
The lawmaker pointed out that the Federal Ministry of Power awarded the N39 billion mass metering contract to Ziglasses Nigeria Ltd under a power purchase agreement adding that no tangle result of the huge public fund is being felt in the country’s power sector.
He added that many Nigerians are facing huge challenges trying to access power and the issue of distribution of power by private companies is causing many citizens pains due to non access to meters.
He said:”Are you aware that Ziglasses Nig Ltd had got N39 billion for supply of meters from the Federal Ministry of Power
“I have the agreement and it’s is N$30m per month. In other words whether I use light or not I ‘ll pay.What is the difference between that and PI$D?
“Come here with the details of the contract, the MD of the company, Ministry of Power officials and the bank that guaranteed the funding”.
Earlier in a presentation, before the committee, the NERC boss said the company that was awarded the mass metering contract has the power purchase agreement.
The Commission he further stated however wanted to review the agreement adding that the agreement predated his appointment and assumption of office at NERC and it was signed in 2016.
The regulatory agency boss also said that the agency use to draw funding from the federation account but now they are now self-funding.
The House Committee also grilled the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission NMDPRA Managing Director/CEO Engr Farouk Ahmed who pleaded the leave of the House to fine-tune the agency’s documents
A member of the House Committee Hon Oluwole Oke while grilling the NSIA boss on the revenue paid to the federation said that agency’s existence offends sec 162 of the Constitution.
He added that the National Assembly needs to rework the law that set up the agency
Other agencies chief executives that appeared before the Committee include those of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority NSIA and the Nigerian Communications Commission NCC who were grilled by the lawmakers on their revenue remittance to the federal government
The NSIA chief executive stated that the agency have 45% of the federal government’s stake alongside states and local governments and they remit their revenues to the coffers of govt based dividends sharing formular.
The House Committee also queried why the NCC generated N309 977 billion revenue as internally generated revenue in 2022 and remitted N1.16 billion
Faleke while grilling these entities said that they are interested on what the federal government of Nigeria is investing its funds into and revenue being generated from the invested funds
