BARELY a week after his hard attacks on President Goodluck Jonathan, there were indications that the presidency may move against ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo by revisiting the probe of the $13.278billion power projects which were executed between 1999 and 2007 when Obasanjo was in office.
Already, one of the daughters of the ex-President is under investigation over alleged deals with a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Presidency during the same period. The said daughter was said to be benefiting to the tune of $300,000 per month in the unnamed deals.
Apparently aware of the moves, the immediate past governor of Osun State and former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has warned aides to President Jonathan to leave the ex- president alone. He also warned against desecrating the Presidency as an institution.
He said at no time did Obasanjo propose the Interim National Government(ING) .
Findings by Th Nation revealed that some forces in the Presidency and the PDP had been working round the clock on how to subject Obasanjo to ridicule.
It was gathered that the 2009 report of the House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel on the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) had been retrieved by the forces in order to hang something on Obasanjo.
The committee had said that about $13.278billion was spent on power projects between 1999 and 2007.
Also, the committee recommended the termination of 13 contracts and a review of 10 projects.
About 15 contracting and consulting companies were asked to be investigated by the appropriate agencies.
The committee , it was further learnt, recommended the investigation of 18 people, including Obasanjo , by the EFCC and the ICPC, blaming them for the failure of the projects between 1999 and 2007 .
A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence, said: “For his daring attacks on President Jonathan, some forces in the Presidency and PDP are out for vengeance.
“They are plotting to revisit how $13.278billion was spent on power projects between 1999 and 2007. They said there is a subsisting report of the House of Representatives on the wastage in the power sector.
“They said they want to demonstrate the government’s further commitment to the anti-corruption campaign by revisiting the NIPP projects.
“They are also placing Obasanjo under surveillance because they believe he is allegedly up to something against the government. That is their perception.
“They have accused him of allegedly promoting the ING idea which Obasanjo’s camp has denied.”
However, some stalwarts of the PDP are opposed to any move against Obasanjo, believing that the step will heat up the polity and portray the party in bad light.
A leader of the party said: “There are moves to demystify Obasanjo in one way or the other, but it might backfire. For instance, the House report on the NIPP recommended the investigation of 18 people, some of whom are loyalists of President Jonathan. Some of them include Governor Liyel Imoke; the late Governor Olusegun Agagu; ex-Minister of State for Energy, Alhaji Abdulahamid Ahmed; a former MD of PHCN, Mr. Joseph Makoju; the CEO of TCN, Engr. G.O.P Osakue; Head Transmission, TCN, Engr. Dr. C.E. Ifesie; AGM, Lines, Engr. Mike Ezeudenna; the Chairman of the Technical Committee and General Project Manager, Engr. C. N.O. Nwachukwu; Deputy Chairman, Technical Committee, Engr. I. Onuoha; and the MD, NDPHC/NIPP, Mr. J. A. Olotu, among others.
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