The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has disclosed how the Commission intervened in 2024 to stop a contractor mobilized by the Ministry of Power from executing a contract with fake and substandard transmission lines.
He spoke in Abuja on Wednesday, when the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, MD/CEO, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, MEMSA, Engineer Olusegun Adesayo paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s corporate headquarters.
The contractor, he said, was investigated by the EFCC and found to have imported fake transmission lines which could have posed danger to the entire nation.
“In 2024, we had cause to write to the Ministry of Power to blacklist a contractor when we investigated and confirmed that he imported fake and substandard power transmission lines for the execution of a contract given to him”, he said.
This intervention by the Commission saved the nation potential disaster and possible loss of lives and valuables.
He assured the MEMSA delegation of the readiness of the EFCC to work with it in ensuring better electricity supply for the nation.
“We believe that we can work together to improve electricity supply in Nigeria and to ensure that all the key stakeholders in the industry play according to rules and laws guiding the industry. I believe when we do this, we will see some improvement in power supply in Nigeria. Our mandate covers economic sabotage, not only financial crimes”, he said.
He also urged the delegation to pay special attention to procurement and contract fraud, assuring that the EFCC has adequate competence in those areas that would be of help to the Agency.
Earlier in his remarks, Adesayo explained that the visit was to forge collaboration with the Commission towards ensuring safety standards in the power industry and to emphasize the commitment of his Agency to transparency and accountability. He also stressed that his Agency was mandated to ensure enforcement of technical standards and regulations in the electricity sector, thereby achieving safety, reliability and quality of electrical cables nationwide.
He sought EFCC’s collaboration primarily in the areas of intelligence sharing, procurement regularities, investigation of cases of substandard electrical materials, contract abuses and regulatory issues, as well as public sensitization and capacity building.
He identified the prime place of regulation and enforcement in the protection of public infrastructure and resources. “We recognize that effective regulation and anti-corruption enforcement is very important, therefore we want a coordinated effort to safeguard all our public infrastructure and natural resources. We also seek your guidance on strengthening our internal control mechanisms,” he said.
He assured Olukoyede of internal reforms in MEMSA that will see to improved probity in the Agency and commitment to aligning with the federal government’s anti-corruption agenda.