The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Limited, wanted for “an alleged consipiracy and corrupt offer to public officers”.
This was disclosed in a notice by the EFCC on Tuesday.
This was disclosed in a notice by the EFCC on Tuesday.
Adesanya was mentioned in three of seven count charges against a former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, who is being prosecuted by the EFCC over the $6bn Mambilla hydropower contract.
Agunloye was arraigned on seven charges, bordering on the fraudulent award of a contract and official corruption in January 2024.
The EFCC alleged that on May 22, 2003, Agunloye awarded a contract, titled “Construction of 3,960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station on a Build, Operate and Transfer Basis” to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, without any budgetary provision, approval, or cash backing.
The former minister was also alleged to have on August 10, 2019, corruptly received the sum of N3.6m from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, and Leno Adesanya for having conveyed the ‘approval of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the construction of the 3,960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station’ in favour of SPTCL, which was done without the approval of the Federal Executive Council.
Adesanya however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Meanwhile, Sunrise Power is in arbitration with Nigeria at the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, France, alleging a breach of contract, according to reports by The Cable.
The company said it was awarded a $6bn build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract in May 2003 by the Obasanjo administration but stated that the federal government at the time, rejected the agreement.
Sunrise is now seeking a compensation of $2.3bn, claiming it had spent millions of dollars on financial and legal consultants before the contract was jettisoned.
In its defence at the arbitration hearing, the Nigerian government is alleging fraud and corruption of public officials in the award of the contract.
Stop taking IMF loans, cleric urges FG
The leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has emphasised the importance of Nigeria looking inward to address the hardship being experienced by its people.
He urged the government to stop taking foreign loans.
According to a statement made available to Hotline Magazines on Wednesday, this was the key message shared by Ayodele during the 30th anniversary of his church on February 18, 2024.
“The Primate, who invited some governors and some high-class traditional rulers to the celebration, said, Nigeria is abundantly blessed with natural and human resources, which, if properly harnessed, should be enough to turn things around for the country.
“He reiterated that the government should desist from taking loans from the International Monetary Fund known as IMF Loan.
“On the contrary, he laid emphasis on the need to encourage local manufacturers by the government giving them adequate support, as this will weaken the Dollar, thereby going a long way to turn things around for the people,” the statement read.
Ayodele suggested that the Federal Government should transform the areas where Boko Haram hide into farmland to enhance state security
According to him, taking this action would result in increased farm produce being sold at affordable prices.
“Primate Ayodele, however, warned that the policy for the creation of a state police may spell more doom than boom for Nigeria.
“INRI as he is popularly called, insisted that Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder and the importance of his messages now to the government for national growth cannot be emphasised enough,” the statement concluded.
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