The Senate has voiced apprehension regarding the perceived lack of transparency surrounding the implementation of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s N500 billion Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project.
The Senate’s concern revolves around the activities of the Presidential Gas Initiative Steering Committee by Tinubu, accused of refusing to answer questions before the National Assembly regarding the N500 billion gas intervention fund.
Chairman of the Senate committee on gas, Jarigbe Agom, expressed his dismay during a plenary session, highlighting that the committee’s actions are “shrouded in secrecy” with “no transparency in their activities”.
Agom asserted that neither the Ministry of Petroleum Resources nor the National Assembly is informed about the committee’s activities and the utilization of funds allocated for the project.
According to Agom, the lack of transparency extends to the procurement process, alleging that contracts are awarded without following public procurement procedures. He claimed that these contracts are often granted to associates without adhering to quality control standards.
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“There is no transparency in their bidding, as public procurement procedures are not followed in awarding contracts,” Agom disclosed during plenary on Wednesday.
“The contracts are awarded to cronies and friends without quality control,” he added.
The Senate committee on gas revealed that despite several summons, the Presidential Gas Initiative Steering Committee has reportedly failed to appear before the National Assembly to provide an account of the N500 billion palliative fund.
Senator Agom urged Bola Ahmed Tinubu to submit a budget to the National Assembly for thorough scrutiny and implementation of the federal government’s gas revolution policy.
In addition, Senator Agom expressed concern over the insufficient budget for capital expenditure in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, emphasizing that it is “grossly inadequate” to meet the government’s policy direction for transitioning from fossil fuels to compressed natural gas.
This transition is intended to alleviate the challenges faced by Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidies. #Tinubu