Abuja: An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Umar Babangida, told an Abuja High Court that Dr. Olu Agunloye was not the Minister of Power when former President Olusegun Obasanjo approved the Mambilla Power Project. Babangida, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), is the third prosecution witness (PW3) testifying before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the EFCC charged Agunloye with an amended seven-count charge, including disobeying a presidential directive. During the resumed sitting, Babangida, while being cross-examined by Agunloye’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe SAN, stated that Nigeria had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the North China Electric Power Design/North China Power Group. This MoU, which Babangida had earlier presented in court, involved an agreement with the Federal Government to execute three power projects, including the first phase of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power project.
Babangida confirmed that the Federal Ministry of Power and Steel recognized the North China Group’s expertise to manage the project. He told the court the MoU, dated July 3, 2002, was signed on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria by the then Minister of State for Power and Steel, Alhaji Murtala M. Aliyu. Babangida emphasized that Agunloye was not the Minister of Power at that time.
The witness added that the then Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, had written to President Obasanjo on November 20, 2002, regarding the ‘Development of Mambilla 3960MW Hydropower Project’. Babangida read the opening paragraph of the letter, which highlighted Dr. Agagu’s request for Obasanjo’s approval. In the letter, Agagu increased the project’s capacity from 2,600 to 3,960 megawatts and recommended SPTCL and Tafag Nigeria Limited for negotiations on the construction.
Babangida noted that SPTCL’s technical foreign partner was North China Power Group, a company the Federal Government had previously commended for its competence. Agagu proposed a 35 per cent Federal Government equity participation in the project, but Obasanjo, in his response dated November 28, 2002, approved the project with a reduced government equity participation of no more than 25 per cent.
Babangida reiterated to the court, ‘The defendant (Agunloye) was not the Minister of Power and Steel as of that time.’ Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the trial until Thursday for the continuation of the cross-examination.
Agunloye is alleged to have conspired with Leno Adesanya of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) to forge a letter about the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station’s construction. He is also accused of receiving N5.212 million from Adesanya through Jide Abiodun Sotirin via his Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) account, as a bribe for facilitating the Federal Government’s approval of the project.