[Flynn’s Editorial: I cannot believe how corruption these political leaders continue to get away without going to jail. This area has something to do with government contract in energy, mainly oil, which has not been beneficial to the Nigerian people.]
Nigeria: Legislators Summon Obasanjo Over Spending
Leadership (Abuja)
7 May 2008
Posted to the web 7 May 2008
Philip Nyam
Abuja
Snippet from external source: (visit the link for the full article)
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have been summoned by the House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel to appear before it on Monday, May 12, 2008, to explain their roles in the alleged expenditure of huge sums of money in the power sector between 1999 and 2007 without commensurate result.
The House is currently investigating the alleged expenditure of $16 billion on the sector by the Obasanjo Administration.
The chairman of the committee, Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, had confirmed that a little over $13 billion was actually invested in the sector between 1999 and 2007.
Also to appear alongside the duo is the former finance minister, Mrs. Nenadi Esther Usman, who is expected to give an insight into payments made to contractors and consultants on the National Integrated Power Projects from the excess crude account within the period she held the fort as minister.
During the public hearing, former finance minister and now a managing director of the World Bank, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, told the committee that former President Obasanjo waived due process in the payment of money on NIPP projects to contractors and consultants.
She also disclosed that Obasanjo authorised a loan from the Excess Crude Account to finance the NIPP scheme. The committee, however, discovered that the loan was obtained without the approval of the National Assembly.
He said that during the tour the committee discovered that monies were paid for non-existent projects while some contractors who collected huge sums of money absconded after they were mobilised.