TCN used N738m for goods clearance, Senate told

By Taiye Odewale Abuja

The Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, was alarmed few days back to learn that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) spent N738 million to clear abandoned goods. The committee, specifically expressed shock that the unnamed goods were abandoned for over ten years at the port. TCN Managing Director, Usman Gur Mohammed, disclosed the expenditure at a budget defence session before the committee.

The Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe-led committee was uncomfortable that TCN used N738 million, about 13 per cent of its budget, to clear goods. A member of the committee, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, wanted to know whose responsibility it is, between the TCN and contractors, to clear imported goods. The TCN boss said that contractors are supposed to be given duty waiver.

Mohammed added that if a contractor abandoned the goods at the port, the TCN will have no option than to clear such goods, saying that some of the goods had been in the port for ten years. The TCN MD said they spent N738million out of N2 billion provision. Abaribe wondered why government should tax itself so much to the extent of frustrating power projects.

Abaribe said, “government is part of the Independent Power Projects. Goods for the NIPP projects arrive in the country ports, government insists on heavy payment of duty. Government ends up taxing itself thereby increasing the cost of the projects and its execution. The goods are abandoned for years, some 10 years. “I think somebody should be asked to explain.

The Senate should be told what is going on.” Vice Chairman of the committee, Bukkar Mustapha, said its request for the number of completed projects and the cost of each project had not been complied with by TCN.

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