Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The House of Representatives has resolved to probe the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc over alleged violation of the Public Procurement Act.

Consequently, the House,  at yesterday’s plenary, mandated its Committees on Public Procurement and Power to undertake the investigation and report back to it for further legislative actions.

This followed adoption of a motion sponsored by Muhammed Soba, under Matters of Urgent National Importance, in the House’s Standing Orders.

Leading debate on the motion, Soba said contrary to the Public Procurement Act, and extant guidelines from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), NBET management allegedly executed Power Purchase Agreement, without following due process.

  He said the transactions allegedly resulted in over N90 billion loss to the Federal Government.

“Most contractors and vendors engaged by NBET are not registered with the Bureau of Public Procurement, neither are they registered on the National Database of Federal Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers; which is a gross violation of the provisions of the Act.”

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The lawmaker expressed worry that if urgent steps are not taken to probe the issue and sanction proven infractions, an institutional system of manipulation of the procurement process would have been created.

Soba also said that would equally lead to further financial losses to the government.

Meanwhile, the House has urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials  for victims of a recent Boko Haram attack in Chibok Community in Borno State.

This followed adoption of a motion by  Asabe Villita Bashir, at yesterday’s plenary.

Bashir explained “that on March 28, the insurgents attacked Gutamwarma village in Chino Local Government Area,  in Borno State, without resistance,  between 5:00pm and 9:00pm.

“They burnt 101 houses, carted away livestock and food items worth millions of naira, killed one person and left many injured.”

She added that on “Monday April 1, the insurgents attacked another village, Kaumutayahi, still in Chino council, but were repelled  by the swift intervention of the Nigerian Army; with the aid of local hunters.”