The Senate Committee on Power has expressed concerns over the lack of budgetary provision for the Mambilla Hydro Power Project in the 2021 Budget.
The Lawmakers have also warned that the gross underfunding of the power sector rules out hopes of stable power supply in the country.
The concerns were raised during a 2021 budget defense session on Monday when the committee discovered that out of the N165 Billion required for the capital project in 2020, a meager N4 Billion was approved, of which only N3 Billion was cash-backed to the company.
The committee was also jolted by disclosure from the Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman that the much-talked-about $5.8billion Mambilla Power Project was yet to take off.
Taking up the Minister on the Mambilla Power Project, the chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Gabriel Suswam (PDP, Benue North-East), and Committee members like Senator Shaibu Lau (PDP, Taraba North), Senator Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) and Senator James Manager (PDP, Delta South) and others wondered why no fund was allocated for the project in the proposed 2021 budget.
Delivering his submission, Senator Lau told the Committee members that despite repeated promises made on the project by the Federal Government, no access road to the project site, no any indication of site clearance talk more of possible ground-breaking regarding the critical power project.
“Nothing in the proposed 2021 budget that concerns Mambilla, showing that there is no commitment from government .
“The truth about the project going by glaring realities on ground over the last 10 years, is that Mambilla will not see the light of the day,” the Taraba lawmaker said.
