Ghost Federal agency gulps over N600 million

 

A Federal government agency, Hydro Power Producing Areas Development Commission, has gulped about N610 million, without existing anywhere.

A scandalised House of Representatives on Tuesday, mandated its Committee on Power, when constituted, to investigate the phantom agency, with the acronym, HYPADEC.

This followed a motion on the need to address the non take-off of the commission five years after the Act establishing it was signed.

The motion, sponsored by Rep. Mohammad Mahmud, noted that the 6th Assembly passed the Bill and was accented to by President Goodluck Jonathan on Aug. 10, 2010.

Mahmud expressed concern that five years after the law, the commission had yet to take off.

“This situation has exposed the communities within the area of operation of the hydroelectric dams to ecological challenges.

“The sum of N352.57 million was appropriated in 2011 budget for the take- off of the commission while nothing was appropriated in 2012 and 2013 budgets.

“However, the commission got an appropriation of N247.50 million in 2014 and N10.00million in 2015 budgets respectively’’, the lawmaker stated.

He stressed that the non take-off of the commission had brought enormous hardship to the people of the areas.

The House, therefore, unanimously adopted the motion through a voice vote put by the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara. (NAN)