Power privatisation: BPE shortchanged Nigeria after bribe – Senate

The Senate Adhoc Committee on Power on Thursday said it had unravelled how some staff of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, who were Board members of Generation Companies and Distribution Companies, were allegedly lured with Prado Jeeps and Land Cruiser Jeeps to suppress Nigeria’s interest.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Abubakar Kyari, made this known during the Day 2 of the investigative hearing on the power sector.

Kyari said: “I have the protection of the Senate to say what we have gathered.

“There are some staff of the Bureau of Public Enterprises that are board members of Generation Companies and Distribution Companies who were given Prado and Land Cruiser Jeeps.

“They are conniving with the both Gencos and Discos.”

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Corroborating ‎the revelation of the Kyari, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, who is also a member of the Committee, lamented the development.

Abdullahi said while the BPE is negotiating for the country, it needs to be technically and morally responsible to it, adding: “It seems that the BPE is shortchanging the country.”

In his response, the Director General of the BPE, Benjamin Diki, said: “We are there to protect Nigerians.

“What companies are paying or have given to their board members as privileges should be referred to the respective companies.

“Whether the privileges is right or not I don’t know.

“I take exception that we have shortchanged the government.

“We balanced the interest of government and investors because what we are looking for is investment.

“We need to create an enabling environment for the business to thrive.”