By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has quizzed Azura-Edo Power Plant over the N18 billion received by the company from the Federal Government through the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) within a six-month period in 2023.
Chairman of the committee Adhoc Committee investigating Nigeria’s power sector reforms and expenditure from 2007 to 2024, Rep Ibrahim Aliyu, during the resumed investigative hearing on Monday in Abuja, demanded explanations after discovering that Azura failed to disclose or account for the funds in its submission to the panel. 
The Chairman cited official records showing that between January and June 2023, Azura received over N18 billion as excess tariff payments and other financial settlements from NBET.
According to the committee, these payments directly fall under the scope of the ongoing investigations into public expenditure on the power sector.
But when asked to speak to his submission, Head of Legal and Compliance, Akeem Olabende, admitted that Azure did not submit any document relating to the payments.
He also confirmed that Azura omitted information on budgetary allocations, loans, grants, bank settlements, and other financial inflows connected to federal power-sector spending.
Olabende further explained that the omission was due to a misunderstanding of the committee’s documentation requirements, noting that Azura had focused its submission on operational data such as installed capacity, generation profile, dispatch performance, and availability figures.
“We did not fully understand the documentation that the committee required.
“Now that I have a clearer understanding, we will go back and ensure that all the financial documents and additional details the committee has requested are provided”, Olabende said.
The Chairman emphasised that the probe was not limited to technical performance but also the financial commitments of the Federal Government to private operators, particularly through NBET, the Central Bank’s intervention windows, and budgetary appropriations.
Members of the committee reminded Azura of its obligations under the Constitution, and cautioned that continued failure to provide full disclosures could compel the committee to invoke legislative powers to ensure compliance.
The Managing Director of Yola Electric Distribution Company, Engr Abdulrahman Isa, was given another date to defend its submissions.
