The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed and his Power counterpart, Abubakar Aliyu, over the planned sale of five power plants belonging to Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).
In a letter signed by the Chairman of House Committee on Finance, James Faleke and addressed to the ministries and other agencies on Sunday, the lower legislative chamber also summoned the Director-General for the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE), Managing Directors of NDPHC and Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBETC).
Faleke said the process for the sale of the power plants was unconstitutional.
The letters read in part: “the House of Representatives has observed with grave concern the proposed sale of the 5 National Integrated Power Plants (NIPP).
“They are Benin Generation Company Limited, Calabar Generation Company Limited, Geregu Generation Company Limited, Olorunsogo Generation Company Limited and Omotoso Generation Company Limited proposed by the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE).
“Considering the critical role your agency is playing in the sustainable energy sector in the country, you are requested to stop all further processes regarding this transaction.
“You are to submit the following information for the committee’s determination of the way forward.”
The Reps, last week, decried the planned sale of the power plants established to support the NDPHC in the efforts at stabilising the country’s power sector.
The Federal government holds 47 percent shares in NDPHC while states and local governments have 53 percent.