Members of the Senate Committee on Power in Abuja Wednesday took up the Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency, Ahmad Salijo, over uneven projects execution by the agency.
Trouble started for Salijo when a member of the committee, Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf drew the attention of his colleagues to the lopsidedness in the distribution of projects executed by the agency as contained in documents presented by Salijo.
He specifically said the budget proposal was full of uneven distribution of mini-grid power projects for rural communities.
He alleged that many of them were concentrated in the local government area of the Minister of Power, Mamman Saleh .
He said: “It is not just the N52m but if you look at from number 85, N30m, N20m, N40 and they are all concentrated in one local government.
“That is the minister’s local government area. 20 projects are in Lau local government area. I am not challenging him but I am sure this is unfair “.
Another member of the committee, Senator Bala Ibn Na’ Allah ( APC Kebbi South) said, “Those who elected us to these office expected us to ensure that the Constitution which they have made for themselves and given to us will be executed to the letter.
“President Muhammadu Buhari wants to be the president of every citizen in the Federal Republic of 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 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.”
