By Mercy Adewunmi
The Nigerian Senate has taken a significant step towards investigating transactions related to the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project from 1999 to date. With concerns about the project’s progress and the need to address challenges in its commencement, an ad-hoc committee has been established by the Red Chamber.
The decision to set up the committee came after a motion was tabled by Senator Manu Haruna, who represents Taraba Central. He emphasized the importance of prioritizing the national project, which has the capacity to generate 3050 megawatts of electricity. Other senators joined in, expressing their doubts about the existence of the Mambilla hydro project and labeling it as a dubious process.
Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, highlighted the impact of the lack of power supply on the country’s economy and the hardships it has caused. The Senate has directed its committees on Finance, Power, Water Resources, and Appropriation to look into the circumstances surrounding the Mambila power projects. They have been given a deadline of four weeks to report back to the Senate for further legislative action.
