The Senate has resolved to probe the abandoned $5.79 billion Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project from 1999 to date.
The resolution was adopted after Senator Manu Haruna moved the motion on the urgent need to address the challenges of commencing the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
Manu in his lead debate said: “The federal government through the Federal Ministry of Power signed a contract with a consortium of Chinese contractors comprising CGCC and CGOC in 2017 to construct 3,050 megawatts of hydroelectric power project known as the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba state at the sum of $5.792billion.”
He informed the Senate that the Federal Executive Council under Buhari’s administration approved the said contract with an agreed JV funding structure of 85% from the Chinese consortium (CGCC-45%, SHC-35% and CGOC-20%) and 15% from the federal government of Nigeria as counterpart funding for the entire project with a 72 months construction period and on a site area of over 146sqkm in Kurmi, and Sardauna Local Governments of Taraba state.”
Lawmakers highlighted the failure of previous governments to prioritize the national project with its capacity to generate 3050 megawatts and reposition the Ajaokuta Steel Complex with $1.7 billion.
This is not the first time the Senate is launching a probe into the project and contract details as a similar call was made in the National Assembly in 2015 and in November, 2022.
