Unstable Power Supply: Nigerians will weep if we release our investigation – EFCC boss

Reacting to endless power supply, national grid collapses and total outages, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said their investigation was shocking.

He said, Nigerians would shed tears if the report of EFCC on power sector is released, while he blamed the unstable power supply in Nigeria on endemic corruption.

He said contractors collect huge sums of money after award of contracts and supply substandard equipment and materials, saying this was the major setback and often lead to frequent equipment failures, outages, and grid collapses.

The anti-graft agency boss revealed this can of worms during a visit by the House Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes in Abuja on Tuesday.

He lamented that Nigerians would shed tears if the Commission discloses what it has uncovered during its investigations.

Olukoyede said, “As I am talking to you now, we are grappling with electricity. If you see some of the investigations we are carrying out within the power sector, you will shed tears.

“People who were awarded contracts to supply electrical equipment, instead of using what they call 9.0 gauge, would go and buy 5.0.

“So every time, you see it tripping off, getting burnt, and all of that. It falters, and it collapses. This is part of our problems.”

Olukoyede further told the parliamentarians that the implementation of capital projects have never exceeded 20% in power sector in the last 20 years, stressing that the country could not achieve infrastructural or other forms of growth under such conditions.

“We discovered that in the last 15 to 20 years, we have not achieved up to 20% of our capital project implementation and execution. And if we don’t do that, how can we expect infrastructural development? How can we grow as a nation? So our mandate this year is to work with that directorate and with the National Assembly to see if we can reach 50% of capital project execution for the year.

“If we achieve 50%, we will be fine as a nation. The lack of implementation of the capital budget is one of Nigeria’s major problems. And if we tackle that effectively, we will make progress as a nation.

“We are doing everything possible to prevent that, with your support.”

The anti-graft boss stated that the commission had received over 17,000 petitions, adding that over 20,000 cases are currently under investigation.

“We have several cases filed in court, apart from those with convictions, reaching thousands. In the last year, we have received over 17,000 petitions in the EFCC. And currently, as I am speaking, we are investigating over 20,000 cases.

“Between last October and now, we have opened over 4,800 new cases. And what is our staff count? We are less than 5,000. Now, with the additional responsibility of over 700 MDAs, 36 states, 774 local governments, and all of that.