{"id":68541,"date":"2019-08-20T05:19:41","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T04:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=68541"},"modified":"2019-08-20T05:19:41","modified_gmt":"2019-08-20T04:19:41","slug":"serap-backs-efccs-probe-of-obasanjo-govts-16bn-power-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/serap-backs-efccs-probe-of-obasanjo-govts-16bn-power-project\/","title":{"rendered":"SERAP backs EFCC’s probe of Obasanjo govt’s $16bn power project"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has welcomed
\n“the reported probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
\n(EFCC) of the government of former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s $16
\nbillion power project as an opportunity for the anti-graft agency to
\nshow that former heads of state and other high-ranking public officials
\nare not immune from investigation and prosecution for allegations of
\ngrand corruption in Nigeria.”<\/p>\n

The organization said: “This probe is something, which SERAP has
\nconsistently called for. Nigerians have for far too long been denied
\njustice and the opportunity to get to the bottom of why they continue to
\npay the price for corruption in the electricity sector–staying in
\ndarkness, but still made to pay crazy electricity bills.”<\/p>\n

According to reports, the EFCC has begun the probe of the $16 billion
\npower project of the administration of former President Olusegun
\nObasanjo. While some put the exact cost of the project at $16 billion
\nothers say it is $13.8 billion. Key contractors and about 18 top public
\nofficers allegedly involved in the power project scam during the
\nObasanjo administration, and those of former Presidents Umaru Yar’Adua
\nand Goodluck Jonathan, may also be arrested.<\/p>\n

In a statement today by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the
\norganization said: “The probe is timely, especially coming at a time of
\ncitizens’ frustrations at persistent allegations of corruption and the
\nimpacts on their human rights. Investigating allegations of grand
\ncorruption and prosecuting former heads of state and other high-ranking
\nofficials where such allegations show relevant and sufficient admissible
\nevidence would address the grave travesty that has for many years
\noccurred in the power sector.”<\/p>\n

The organization also said: “The EFCC should urgently invite anyone
\nsuspected to be involved for questioning. The agency should also expand
\nthe probe to cover the alleged squandering of a total of N11 trillion in
\nthe power sector between 1999 and 2015, and the unresolved case of the
\nreported missing $12.4 billion oil windfall, allegedly spent between
\n1988 and 1993 by the government of former military dictator, General
\nIbrahim Babangida.”<\/p>\n

The statement read in part: “The EFCC has the full support of Nigerians
\nin its efforts to hold high-ranking public officials to account for
\ngrand corruption, and if consistently, fairly and diligently pursued,
\nthis probe would contribute to ending impunity for corruption, and to
\nmobilizing and encouraging youth civic engagement in the anti-graft
\nfight in the country. SERAP stands ready to work with the EFCC in
\npursuing all allegations of grand corruption.”<\/p>\n

“SERAP notes that former presidents have routinely faced corruption
\ncharges in countries like Iceland, Kyrgyzstan, Brazil, Montenegro, South
\nKorea, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Slovakia, Peru, and Mauritius,
\nand the probe by the EFCC would mean this list would grow even further
\nto include Nigeria.”<\/p>\n

“Impunity for grand corruption will continue as long as high-ranking
\npublic officials go largely unpunished for their alleged crimes. It is
\nby pursuing these allegations and taking the evidence before the court
\nthat the truth will be revealed and justice best served. Addressing
\nimpunity in the power sector should be total. This would help to further
\npublic perception of fairness and thoroughness.”<\/p>\n

“Lack of regular electricity supply in the country had occasioned many
\nother problems, including lack of access to potable water. The failure
\nby successive governments to tell Nigerians the truth about allegations
\nof corruption in the power sector amounts to a failure to ensure that
\nelectricity services are progressively made available, on the basis of
\nequality and non-discrimination.”<\/p>\n

“In November 2016, SERAP petitioned the former Chief Justice of Nigeria,
\nWalter Onnoghen, urging him to probe the alleged spending of the $16
\nbillion. In April 2017, SERAP sent President Muhammadu Buhari an open
\nletter, advising him to take allegations of corruption in the power
\nsector to the international criminal courts to ensure that justice is
\nserved.”<\/p>\n

“SERAP has also called on Mr Buhari to refer the alleged $16 billion
\nspending on electricity between 1999 and 2007 to the EFCC. Mr Buhari
\nsubsequently raised questions over the issues, saying that ‘one of the
\nformer Heads of State was bragging that he spent more than 15 billion
\nAmerican dollars, not naira, on power. Where is the power? Where is the
\npower?'”<\/p>\n

“In August 2017, SERAP published a report, ‘From Darkness to Darkness:
\nHow Nigerians are Paying the Price for Corruption in the Electricity
\nSector’, which revealed how over N11 trillion meant to provide regular
\nelectricity supply was allegedly squandered under the governments of
\nformer presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck
\nJonathan.”<\/p>\n

The report reads: “The Obasanjo’s administration spent $10 billion on
\nNIPP with no results in terms of increase in power generation.
\n$13.278,937,409.94 was expended on the power sector in eight years while
\nunfunded commitments amounted to $12 billion.”<\/p>\n

“The Federal Government then budgeted a whopping N16 billion for the
\nvarious reforms under Liyel Imoke (2003 to 2007) which went down the
\ndrains as it failed to generate the needed amount of electricity or meet
\nthe set goals. Imoke was alleged to have personally collected the sum of
\n$7.8 million for the execution of the contract for the construction of
\nthe Jos-Yola Transmission Line, which was never executed. There were
\ndocumented\/reported allegations of corruption against Imoke that
\nfizzled-out shortly thereafter.”<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has welcomed “the reported probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of the government of former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s $16 billion power…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nSERAP backs EFCC's probe of Obasanjo govt's $16bn power project - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/serap-backs-efccs-probe-of-obasanjo-govts-16bn-power-project\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SERAP backs EFCC's probe of Obasanjo govt's $16bn power project - 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