Senators blast power minister for padding 20 projects in 2021 budget to his LG

Several Senators on Wednesday blasted the Minister of Power for padding 20 federal projects in the 2021 budget in his local government. Senators in the Senate Committee on Power slammed the Minister of Power, Mamman Saleh, and the Rural Electrification Agency for biases in the allocation of projects in the 2021 budget without consideration of equity and national interest. The senators at the budget defence of some agencies under the Ministry of Power before the power committee, challenged the allocation of 20 projects to the Minister’s Local Government while some local governments got none.

At the budget defence by the Rural Electrification Agency on Wednesday, the senators detected imbalances and several flaws in the budget in Power ministry budget.

The senators also detected that some projects are not in existent. The Senators, therefore, ordered the Rural Electrification Agency to go and review the N17.8 billion budget of the agency and return for further screening.