Reps Dismiss Petition Against NELMCO

Magdalene Ukuedojor
Jul, Thu, 2025

Politics

follow and like on:

81 total views today

By Ikenna Osuoha

The House of Representatives Sub-Committee on the Protection of Critical National Assets has dismissed corruption allegations petition against the Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO) by the Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA).

The association, a Civil Society Organisation, had through its President, Princewill Okorie, accused NELMCO of misappropriation of funds, shady operations, among sundry allegations.

APPA also questioned the continued existence of NELMCO 12 years after its privatisation.

At the resumed public hearing on the matter on Thursday, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Dabo Ismail, said that the panel took the allegations seriously and immediately launched a comprehensive investigation to unmask what truly transpired.

“NELMCO’s existence is backed by the provisions of the Nigerian Electricity Act, 2023, according to our findings.

“That the agency ought to have folded up in 2017 after the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria is not in order,” he said.

Ismail said that NELMCO had provided all documents backing their existence which was in compliance with the Nigerian Electricity Act 2023.

He said that NELMCO assumed responsibility for all the PHCN’s and successor companies’ assets and liabilities.

On the allegation that NELMCO spent N94 million on a five-day retreat in Lagos, the Managing Director of NELMCO, Mojoyinoluwa Dekalu-Thomas, described it as false.

He expressed the readiness to provide evidence of the expenditures incurred in the course of the training.

Dekalu-Thomas said, “The Director-General of the Debt Management Office, the Director-General of the Bureau for Public Procurement, executive directors of NELMCO and two non-executive directors attended the event.

He also said that 25 facilitators, spent five days at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos, saying that there were pictures and documentary evidence to support the claim.

She affirmed that the company’s payment for flights, logistics, food, accommodation was to the tune of the N94 million.

She explained that it was not a one-day event but a five-day retreat and that the Minister of Power was there for the entire retreat as documented and provided.

According to Ismail, the N94 million “Is justifiable considering the dignitaries that attended the five-day retreat.”

In his contribution, a member of the committee, Mr Billy Osawaru, said since the N94 million was appropriated, there was no need for members to deliberate further on the issue.

“Was the money appropriated? Mr Chairman, if the money was appropriated, what that means is that at some point they brought this to us and we approved it.

“I don’t think that at this point we should start going back. So, if they have brought all this proof, we should move on,” he said.

The Chairman of the Committee said that all documents relating to the five-day retreat including payments made for logistics, were submitted by the agency during its investigations.

Ismail also dismissed the petitioner’s claim of a purchase of office in the North by the agency, saying, “We didn’t see evidence of purchase of an office in the North.”

The committee urged the petitioner to feel free to come forward with other subsequent findings, promising that it would do justice to every petition submitted before it in the interest of Nigerians. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Editted by Abdulfatai Beki/Francis Onyeukwu

follow and like on: