Ndudi Elumelu Life Threatened

You shall not die but live to declare the word of God. Surely they will gather but if they gathering is not of God they gather in vain. Nobody can say yes when God says no.

Hon. Elumelu, you are our answered prayers to fight corruption. They are like dead lion they cannot bite. God has exposed them and many more will follow suit. Anybody that digs grave for you will like King Harod by buried in it. Every Hamman's gallow shall have Hamman hung on it instead. Relax God is in control. Don't fret because He that keeps Israel neither sleeps nor slumber.

Power probe: Elumelu alleges threat to life
By Adelani Adepegba, Enugu
Published: Thursday, 10 Apr 2008
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel, Mr. Ndudi Elumelu, on Wednesday alleged that he had been receiving threats to his life since the probe of the nation’s power sector began on March 11, 2008.

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Mr. Ndudi Elumelu

His mother, he added, was also being pressured to prevail on him to be cautious in handling the probe.

He said, “It’s obvious now. Do you know some people have gone to the extent of telling my mother to warn me to desist from continuing with the probe?

“I know the Nigerian factor, but I am resolute about the probe; we will get to the root of the matter.”

Elumelu, who however did not name those behind the threats and pressure, assured Nigerians that he was determined to complete the investigations without fear or favour.

He spoke while on a visit to the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Sullivan Chime, in Enugu.

Elumelu told the governor that what members of the committee had seen since they began an on-the-spot assessment of the power plants in the country were “stories of non-performance.”

He said that the committee was in Enugu to assess the work done at the N8.8bn New Haven-Ugwuaji 33 KVA sub-station by Chrome Consulting Energy at N8.8bn. About N5.6bn had been paid to the firm.

The chairman added that Energo Nigeria Limited which is handling the N19.4 bn Ikot-Ekpene-Ugwuaji sub-station had received N13.2bn while Reynalds Engineering had been paid N264m out of the N643m contract sum for the Nsukka 32/33 KV sub-station.

Another sub-station at 9th Mile, Enugu, contracted out at N1.2bn is being handled by Pivot Engineering Limited.

Elumelu, who also disclosed that the National Assembly would soon pass a supplementary budget from which allocations would be made to states for infrastructure development, added that a sub-station at Amaechi was contracted out to W. Ibeh and Brothers.

He said that the committee would assess the level of work done at the stations to determine whether the contractors should continue or refund the monies so far paid to them.

At Nsukka, the committee found out that less than one per cent job was done at the project site.

Elumelu, who was visibly annoyed, demanded to know why the project had not advanced beyond the clearing of the site, installation of a generator and erection of two blocks of three-bedroom flat for engineers.

A representative of Reynalds Engineering , Mr. Nkem Okeke, blamed the development on late treatment of documents submitted to ‘relevant authorities.’

“There was no PC ascribed to the project for three months after the contract was signed, thereby causing the project to start afresh at the appointment of PC,” he said.

A breakdown of the activities at the site showed that the contractor had spent N501m on soil, engineering designs, civil works and other preliminary activities including soil tests, bush clearing, provision of vehicle, set up of site office and others.

At the Oji River thermal station, the engineer in charge, Mr.Chinedu Iwuagu, explained that the 30 MW capacity station could only generate 14MW.

He said that one of the turbines had been rehabilitated but could not commence operation because there was no coal to fire it up.

A member of the committee, Mr. Ogbuefi Ozumgbachi, said that he had recommended that N200m be provided for the revival of the station.

He claimed that his suggestion was rebuffed by a former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Liyel Imoke, who is now the governor of Cross River State.

Earlier, Chime said the nation should be grateful to the House of Representatives for empowering the committee to probe the power sector.

“It is unfortunate and ironic that these things happened when the government was shouting due process; the huge amount expended with nothing to show is disturbing,” the governor said.

He advised the committee to look at how the coal industry could be well exploited for power generation.