The minister of power, Mamman Saleh cited 20 electrification projects in his Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State in the 2021 budget proposal.
Members of the Senate committee on power who uncovered the 20 projects of various amounts ranging from N20m to N52m as they scrutinized the 2021 budget proposals of the Rural Electrification Agency condemned the minister’s proposed citing of the 20 projects in his own local government alone.
They faulted the uneven distribution of projects under the ministry, pointing out that only one of the electrification projects for 2021 in the entire South-South geopolitical zone was proposed to be cited in Delta State.
Senator Yusuf Yusuf who the drew the attention of his colleagues to the lopsidedness in the distribution of the projects, said;
“That is the minister’s LGA. Twenty projects are in Lau local government area. I am not challenging him but I am sure.”
Another member of committee from Kebbi state, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, described the lopsided projects as an abuse of power.
His words;
“Those who elected us to these offices expected us to ensure that the constitution which they have made for themselves and given to us will be executed to the letter.
“The President wants to be the president of every citizen of the Federal Republic if Nigeria.
“Therefore, he would want loyalty and cooperation from every citizen of the country. If we sit down here and agree that a budget that pleases a minister, can come, he (Minister) is not doing himself good because he has sworn to do justice to all manner of the people and not to allow his personal interest to affect his official conduct and decision.
“He has by this clearly shown that he has allowed his personal interest to affect his official conduct and decision, and that is a very serious matter.
“Governance is a very serious issue I think you (MD) must take this observation, serious and convey it to the minister. Tell him that the committee is not in agreement with him.”
Equally, some of the Senators also alleged that some of the projects listed in their states were non-existent as they were neither aware of them nor the contractors handling the jobs.