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Grid collapse: EFCC probes electricity contracts
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The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, on Tuesday, attributed the country’s epileptic power supply to corruption within the power sector.
He said the commission initiated a probe into the sector, adding that what it uncovered during its investigations would make Nigerians shed tears.
Speaking during the visit of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Olukoyede lamented that contractors awarded projects to supply electrical equipment often opted for substandard materials.
He said this practice was a major cause of frequent equipment failures, outages, and grid collapses.
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 electricity equipment, instead of using what they call 9.0 guage, they will buy 5.0.
“So, every time you see the thing tripping off, gets burnt, and all of that, It’s part of our problems.”
He also stated that during its investigations, the commission discovered that in the last 20 years, capital project implementation and execution in the country were not up to 20 per cent.
He said 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 done up to 20 per cent of our capital project implementation and execution.
“And if we don’t do that, how do you want to have infrastructural development? How do you want to 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 meet up to 50 per cent of execution of our capital project for the year.
“If we do 50 per cent, we will be fine as a nation. The lack of implementation of this capital project, capital budget, is one of our major problems in Nigeria.
“If we can tackle that effectively, we will make progress as a nation. So we are doing everything to see how we can achieve that with your support.”
The anti-graft boss said the commission received over 17,000 petitions, adding that over 20,000 cases were currently under investigation.
He said, “We have several cases filed in court, apart from the conviction, running to thousands.
“In the last year, we have received over 17,000 petitions in EFCC. And right now, as I’m talking to you, 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 spread? We are less than 5,000 and now, with the additional responsibility of over 700 MDAs, 36 states, 774 local governments, and all of that.”
The Chairman of the committee, Obinna Onwusibe, called on the EFCC to collaborate with the judiciary to expedite the trials of suspects and reduce the number of inmates awaiting trial.
He said, “At this point, let me add that recently, on oversight visits to the maximum and minimum correctional centres in Kirikiri, Lagos State, numerous suspects have been awaiting trial for over one year, and yet we are all acquainted with the saying that justice delayed is justice denied.
“It is on this note that we call on the EFCC, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the judiciary to improve and ensure that the administration of criminal justice works in collaboration for an effective and efficient system that will bring about justice delivery to victims and society.”
He also urged the EFCC to ensure transparency and accountability in its operation.
“The negative maxim being peddled in certain quarters is that the agency is often being used to settle political scores, and this must be corrected by the EFCC,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu is currently in a private meeting with Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia and former governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Monday meeting is taking place at a time of rising political tension in the North-Central state.
No official details have been released, as discussions are ongoing behind closed doors.
The engagement comes amid growing divisions within the Benue chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), where Governor Alia and allies of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, are reportedly struggling for control of the party structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
It also follows recent political shifts in the state, with Senator Suswam’s name surfacing after the APC senatorial primaries as a notable figure ahead of the next election cycle.
While it remains unconfirmed whether the state’s political crisis is on the agenda, the timing of the meeting has fueled speculation that the Presidency may be stepping in to calm tensions, reconcile rival blocs, and encourage unity among key political actors in the state.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not released any official statement on the outcome of the discussions.
Former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, has alleged that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, wants to divide Nigeria.
Sheriff made this allegation on Monday when he appeared as a guest in an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.
He was reacting to the Obi’s call that President Bola Tinubu should resign over security and economic situations facing the country.
According to him: “Peter Obi, up to this moment, is pursuing the division of Nigeria because he believes in Biafra.
“He never condemns Biafra or IPOB, as he wants to divide Nigeria. He should come out and say if he doesn’t believe in the division of the country.
“Anybody aspiring to lead Nigeria must be someone who stands for Nigeria, not for any section.”
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the National Welfare Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nkemakolam Ukandu, to pay a total of N100 million in damages to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, and Justice Peter Lifu over a suit the court struck out for lack of diligent prosecution.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, who delivered the ruling on Monday, ordered Ukandu to pay N50 million each to Justice Tsoho and Justice Lifu within 14 days.
The order followed an oral application by counsel to the two judges, Mr J. U. K. Igwe, SAN.
Earlier, Justice Ibrahim struck out Ukandu’s suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1165/2026, after finding that the plaintiff had failed to diligently prosecute the matter.
Ukandu had sued the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Tsoho and Justice Lifu over allegations of judicial bias and disobedience to court orders. He sought an order compelling the NJC to investigate claims of corruption, abuse of judicial powers, and bias allegedly committed by the two judges.
However, the plaintiff and his lawyer repeatedly failed to appear before Justice Ibrahim after the case was assigned to him.
The judge had, on June 30, warned that the suit could be dismissed if neither Ukandu nor his counsel appeared at subsequent proceedings.
The case arose from the ongoing leadership dispute within the ADC involving an aggrieved party member, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, whose substantive suit is pending before Justice Lifu.
Gombe is seeking a court order restraining the leadership of the party, led by former Senate President David Mark, from presenting themselves as the legitimate leaders of the ADC.
Ukandu, who is seeking to be joined in that case, accused Justice Tsoho and Justice Lifu of manifest bias and alleged that they were acting in the interest of certain individuals against the party.
In his originating suit, Ukandu challenged the decision of the Chief Judge to reassign the leadership dispute from Justice Emeka Nwite to Justice Lifu, arguing that the reassignment violated both an earlier order of Justice Nwite and a decision of the Supreme Court.
Tinubu meets Alia, Suswam behind closed doors as Benue crisis deepens
2027: Peter Obi wants to divide Nigeria – Former Borno Gov, Sheriff
Court orders ADC welfare secretary to pay N100m damages to two judges
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