The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the disbursement and use of funds under the National Mass Metering Programme by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and to ascertain the level of compliance with the terms and conditions of the loans.
The House also resolved to investigate cases of discrepancies, mismanagement, and non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the loans disbursed, as well as the level of oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of the use of the funds.
This is sequel to a resolution following a motion sponsored by Uchenna Harris Okonkwo at the floor of the House on Thursday in Abuja.
The lawmaker informed the House that the National Mass Metering Program (NMMP) was launched by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide funds as loans to the licensed Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to improve customers’ metering and eliminate estimated billing.
Okonkwo explained that the NMMP aimed to cover over 6 million households and businesses with meters before the end of 2021 as part of the power sector reform agenda to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the power sector.
He said there have been reports of discrepancies, mismanagement, and non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the loans disbursed under the NMMP by some DisCos, leading to inefficiencies, underperformance, and failure to achieve the objectives of the NMMP.
The Lawmaker said the lack of proper oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of funds disbursed under the National Mass Metering Program by the Central Bank of Nigeria, has created opportunities for corruption, diversion, and misappropriation of public resources.
The House therefore asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide a detailed report on the implementation of the National Mass Metering Program, including the number of loans disbursed, the amount disbursed, and the status of the loans, to the House of Representatives.
The House also requested the Federal Government to prioritise the implementation of the Power Sector Recovery Program, which provides a roadmap for sustainable power sector reform.
The House directed the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to provide a comprehensive assessment of the performance of the DisCos in metering customers and eliminating estimated billing.
