SDP members should be aware of the controversy surrounding the $6 billion Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project contract and the role attributed to former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye.
According to the EFCC investigation cited in the report, Agunloye, while serving as Minister of Power, awarded the Mambilla project to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) on May 22, 2003, under a Build, Operate and Transfer arrangement without the approval of the Federal Executive Council.
The EFCC further alleged that the contract award was irregular and that there was a relationship between Agunloye and the owner of the company. The Commission also cited a ₦3.6 million payment made to an account belonging to Agunloye in 2019 as part of the circumstances it investigated.
The issue became significant internationally because SPTCL subsequently pursued claims against the Federal Government over the Mambilla project. The Federal Government has now secured a favourable outcome at the International Arbitration Tribunal, with the tribunal rejecting major compensation claims.
For SDP members, the key point is simple: the Mambilla controversy is directly connected to a contract award made during Agunloye’s tenure as Minister of Power, and the EFCC investigation formed part of the Federal Government’s defence of Nigeria’s position.
This is a matter of public record and should be discussed based on the documented allegations, court proceedings and official findings not speculation.
