House Probes TCN over Violation of Procurement, FRC Acts on Foreign Loans

• Okays arms for FRSC officers

James Emejo in Abuj

The House of Representatives twednesday passed a resolution mandating the Committees on Power, Public Procurement and Aids, Loans and Debt Management to investigate the activities of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) within the past 10 years in respect of foreign loans and contract awards and report back within eight weeks for further legislative action.

It said the transmission company appeared to be in violation of the constitution, the Public Procurement Act as well as the Fiscal Responsibility Act, having taken loans amounting to $1.5 billion from the World Bank and other international lenders over a period of time without complying with the provisions of section 44 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

The House also passed a motion urging the federal government to facilitate the procurement of arms and ammunition for officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to protect themselves while performing their duties.
It mandated the Committee on FRSC to investigate cases of attacks on personnel of the FRSC, ensure implementation on arms carrying and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
Hon. Simon Y. Arabo moved the motion on the need to investigate the violations of the constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility and Public Procurement Acts by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) over Foreign Loans of $1.5 billion and $500 million for its operations and contract processes.

The lawmakers noted that the privatisation of the Power Sector under section 8 of the Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 gave birth to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) as one of the successor companies in the sector.
Arabo said as a government institution, loans were utilised by TCN without the appropriation of the National Assembly contrary to Sections 80-83 of the 1999 Constitution.
He further raised concern that TCN is currently negotiating another loan of $500 million with Islamic Development Bank and has been violating the provisions of the Public Procurement Act in contract procedures as its contract processes are opaque.
However, the motion on the need to curb incessant attacks on personnel of the FRSC was moved by Hon. Solomon Bulus Maren.
Citing the increasing cases of violent attacks, harassment and intimidation of personnel and offices of the commission by highly placed individuals, motorists and hoodlums across the country, particularly in Zamfara, Jigawa, Abia and Lagos States; he expressed concern that the United Nation’s Declaration on Reduction of Road Accidents by 50 per cent by year 2020 may not be achieved by Nigeria if the attacks are not urgently curbed.
Lawmakers argued that the road safety officials are endangered and have no means to protect their lives in order to secure road users.

They said officers sometimes discover offensive weapons in vehicles during routine operations on highways but are incapable of challenging occupants of such vehicles as they lack capacity to protect themselves from any attack that could arise.
The observed that in order to avoid the attacks, road safety officers stay off the roads, particularly at night as motorists take advantage of the situation to breach traffic regulations, which often lead to accidents.