Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has challenged his former minister of power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, to tell Nigerians where he derived the authority to award the $6 billion Mambilla Power contract.
This as the Nigeria’s former president denied that he authorised Agunloye to commit Nigeria to the $6 billion contract with Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd for the Mambilla Hydropower Project in 2003.
Obasanjo, while speaking during an interview excerpt published by TheCable on Sunday, said no minister under him had the power to approve funds beyond N25 million.
“When I was president, no minister had the power to approve more than N25 million without express presidential consent. It was impossible for Agunloye to commit my government to a $6 billion project without my permission and I did not give him any permission,” Obasanjo was quoted as saying.
Obasanjo who challenged Agunloye to explain where he got the power and authority to award the contract said he is ready to testify if the current Bola Tinubu-led government sets up a commission of inquiry.
The former president said he was surprised that Agunloye presented a memo for the $6 billion contract despite being advised against it.
Obasanjo added that he would have sacked the former minister if he had known about it.
The Mambilla Power Project is a hydroelectric power project located in Baruf, in Kakara Village of Taraba state, Nigeria.
The project is estimated to cost $6 billion and is expected to generate 3,050 megawatts of electricity.
The project has been on the drawing board for many years and has been plagued by delays and corruption allegations.
In 2017, the federal government awarded a $6 billion contract for the project to a Chinese consortium, Sinohydro Corporation.
However, there have been allegations that the contract was awarded without due process and that there was widespread corruption involved.
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