In a recent development surrounding the Mambilla Power Project, the controversy deepens as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was accused of circulating a leaflet on social media, claiming that a former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr Olu Agunloye, is under investigation for a staggering $6 billion fraud.
This assertion was however, contested by the Alpha Justice & Advocacy Group in a statement signed by retired Diplomat and former Managing Director of the defunct Sketch Newspapers, Fisan Bankale.
Bankale, representing the advocacy group, expressed uncertainty regarding Dr. Agunloye’s inclusion in the EFCC list, questioning whether it was a deliberate act or an error in judgment.
He emphasized that any insinuation of wrongdoing on Agunloye’s part is false, citing the project concept and related documents as evidence.
According to the statement, during his tenure as the Minister of Power, Dr. Agunloye awarded a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) contract for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
The estimated $6 billion project was entrusted to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (Sunrise) at no cost to the Federal Government.
Under this agreement, Sunrise was to independently finance the dam’s construction, operate it for 35 years to recoup investments, and subsequently hand it over to the Federal Government.
Crucially, the statement emphasizes that not a single Nigerian Naira has been paid by the Federal Government to Sunrise for the project.
The assertion that Dr. Agunloye is involved in a $6 billion fraud is, therefore, questioned as being baseless and misleading.
The Alpha Justice & Advocacy Group urges the EFCC to retract the allegedly libelous publication, asserting that it undermines the principles of natural justice and the greater interests of the nation.
As the public awaits the unfolding trial under Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, the group calls for a professional and factual approach to the proceedings, discouraging reliance on media frenzy fueled by misrepresentation.
The statement concludes with a warning that well-meaning Nigerians and advocates of justice will closely monitor events, intervening in the public space to ensure accurate information prevails.
The group vows to insist that the trial be conducted on facts rather than succumbing to a media-driven narrative that risks unjust public condemnation.
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