BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

The House Committee on Power has reiterated that it would undertake a comprehensive audit of ongoing projects in the power sector as part of its oversight function to ensure full implementation of the 2012 budget and tackle abandoned projects in the sector.

Abandoned projects in the power sector have continued to escalate in recent time, resulting in duplications in subsequent budgets.

In an oversight visit to Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN distribution companies in Lagos, the Committee Chairman, Hon. Patrick Ikhariale, said the purpose of the visit is to ascertain the level of implementation of the 2012 budget.

Ikhariale said members of the committee have the constitutional right to clinically examine the current state of the 2012 appropriations executed in the power sector and address the increasing rate of abandoned projects.

He said, “We know that there have been lots of controversies with regard to the level of implementation of the 2012 budget, especially in the area of capital projects.

“Our visit can be captioned as, ‘the Moment of Truth’ because we are on a fact finding mission to all the distribution companies of PHCN in the country. We are not here to witch-hunt anybody, but we are obliged to carry out our constitutional responsibilities in terms of oversight visit.

“We have agreed during our previous visits that ongoing and abandoned projects should be given priority in order to overcome the abandoned projects that are scattered across the country.”

Speaking on the privatization of the power sector, Ikhariale said this was the only way forward but insisted that due process must be followed.

“Privatization of the sector is still on but it does not mean that government should hands off completely. The Philosophy behind privatization is to improve service delivery in terms of power generation, transmission and distribution. You would agree with me that in recent time there has been improvement in power supply in the country,” he said.