Has the Obasanjo probe begun?

Many people may not realise it. But the much talked about probe of the Obasanjo years may have begun with the on-going House of Representatives public hearing on the $16 billion spent on the power sector between 1999 and 2007. And with the can of worms being opened at the hearing and the astounding revelations about incredible amount of money paid to contractors with the nation having nothing to show for it, it is surely a matter of time before it becomes imperative for the ex-president to appear before the House of Representatives probe panel.

The disturbing stories about graft, incompetence, and unconscionable frittering of the national wealth that have emerged on how the nation spent $16 billion dollars make one’s bile boil. To make it worse is the fact that there is less electricity now than even the pre-Obasanjo’s eight-year presidency. It is a gripping story of how not to run a country.

It may well be too early to adjudge Chief Olusegun Obasanjo guilty on this matter despite the temptation to do so. The truth is that Obasanjo is a man many love to hate. I believe nonetheless that he must have a coherent and logical explanation for what happened to the $13 billion in question. And if I were in a position to advise Chief Obasanjo, I will suggest that he should not wait to be summoned before making himself available to state his own side of the story. Afterall, all that have been revealed so far happened under his watch. I find it difficult to imagine that at a time when the swan song in Obasanjo’s Aso Rock was the war against corruption, some contractors collected mind-boggling amount of money from the public purse, failed to execute the contracts and nobody until now thought it fit to bring them to book.

Here was a president who introduced due process into our lexicon but often failed to practice what he loved so dearly to preach. According to the managing director of National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), James Olotu the ex-president awarded contracts worth billions of naira without recourse to tender’s board.

One engineering firm, Rockson Engineering Limited, received over N84 billion to construct power projects in the Niger Delta. But there is little or nothing to show for the investment. For instance, the firm was paid a whopping N15. 8 billion out of N16.67 billion for the Egbema power project in Bayelsa State representing 90 per cent payment yet the job done so far is not more than 19 per cent.

The same firm got another contract in Gbarain in the same state and was paid N17.6 billion out of the contract sum of N18.25 billion but only about 11 per cent of the job has so far been done. If the House of Representatives had not taken the step to initiate a public hearing, it is unlikely that this would have become public knowledge and the money could easily have gone down the drain as it is usual for most public fund in this perplexing country.

One does not have to be a soothsayer to know that one very big man is behind Rockson Engineering Limited and but for this public hearing, the projects involved may end up being abandoned projects.

In another vein, a firm, Energo, associated with former military head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar was awarded contracts worth N19 billion for the construction of power stations and transmission lines. It has collected N13 billion yet Energo’s managing director, Thomas Lambert, an Austrian has not even visited the site of the work, not to talk of constructing any station.

There were several similar revelations that gave the impression that what was embarked upon in the name of reviving the comatose energy sector during the Obasanjo years was actually a free-for-all sharing of the $16 billion by a few people with access to the hallowed chambers of power.

I suspect that what has been disclosed so far is only the tip of the iceberg of corruption that pervaded our polity in recent years. And there is no way the House of Reps can get to the bottom of this matter without the ex-president coming out to give his own side of the story. It will not only help to save him from the lynch mob that is out for his blood in case he is innocent, it ensures that he is given fair hearing.

The public hearing on the energy crisis in the country would not have done a thorough job if it fails to summon the courage to deal with the erring contractors who pocketed our money and failed to offer value for the money. For sure, some of them will have to be prosecuted for financial crimes because there is no doubt that some of the nation’s laws have been breached. Some of the firms have to be given new and firm deadlines within which to complete the jobs given to them or be forced to cough out the money they have taken.

Those who have condemned the previous National Assembly for incompetence, and lacking the will to exercise its constitutional oversight functions have a point there. Democracy is about checks and balances and where that is removed relapse to dictatorship is rapid. I think the previous National Assembly stands indicted for some of the damage that the Obasanjo years inflicted on us all. The only good news is that this current National Assembly is to trying to show that it is of a different cut.

FROM MY MAILBOX

I noticed that your column in the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday was not there. Hope there is no problem? Please don't relent on your effort to RIGHT the WRONGS in this country.
Ajuwon Oludeji Johnson, Ibadan, (olujohnson14@yahoo.com)

Last Line
This column took an unannounced vacation for two weeks for reasons beyond my control. I had malaria and typhoid. In spite of that I still tried to keep a date with you on this page but I was just too weak to do anything. But that’s over now. Thanks for keeping faith.