The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, a
human rights advocacy group, has asked the Minister of
Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to account
for the spending in the power sector following its
privatisation.
The group, in a statement on Monday by its Executive
Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, hinged its request on the
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, adding that it
needed the information within seven days.
SERAP ordered Fashola to give it the exact amount of
money spent in the power sector after privatisation and to
explain if such funds came from budgetary allocations or
other sources.
The group also requested the minister to provide it with
information on “the status of implementation of the
country’s 25-year national energy development plan and
whether the code of ethics of the privatisation process,
which bars staff of the Bureau of Public Enterprises and
members of the National Council on Privatisation from
buying shares in companies being privatised, were
deliberately flouted.”
It said, “Since the privatisation of the power sector, the
government has continued to use public resources to
subsidise private entities. The Goodluck Jonathan
government reportedly spent over N400bn on the power
sector, while the present government has spent over
N500bn on the sector despite privatisation. It is unclear if
this spending is drawn from budgetary allocations and if
these are loans to the generation companies, distribution
companies and the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
“Assuming the funds are given as loans, SERAP would like
to know whether appropriate guarantees have been provided
to secure such loans, and whether such loans provide value
for money for Nigerian taxpayers.
“Publishing details of spending on privatisation of the power
sector and post-privatisation spending on the Gencos and
Discos would serve the public interest and provide insights
relevant to the public debate on combating corruption in the
power sector as well as help to improve citizens’ access to
regular and uninterrupted electricity supply.”
“If the requested information is not provided to us within 14
days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, the
Registered Trustees of SERAP shall take all appropriate legal
actions under the Freedom of Information Act to compel
you to comply with our request,” it added.
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