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Senate questions TCN for spending N738m to clear abandoned goods.

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-TCN has not complied with the committee’s request to tender the number of completed projects and the cost of each project – Senate Committee

Senate slams TCN for spending N738m to clear abandoned goods.

The Nigerian Senate has condemned the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, for reportedly expending the sum of N738 million to clear abandoned goods at the port.

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The criticisms follows the disclosure by the TCN Managing Director, Usman Gur Mohammed, that the expenditure at a budget defence session with the Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia South.

However, the committee expressed displeasure over TCN’s use of N738 million, which is about 13 per cent of its budget, to clear goods, considering the nation’s need for resources to cater to other pressing issues.

Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, APC, Kaduna North, who is one of the committee members, questioned the Managing Director of TCN to know whose duty it was to clear imported goods, TCN or contractors.

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Senator Abaribe expressed concern over reasons the government should tax itself so much to the extent of hindering  power projects, said, “Government is part of the Independent Power Projects. Goods for the NIPP projects arrive in the country ports, government insists on heavy payment of duty.

“Government ends up taxing itself thereby increasing the cost of the projects and its execution. The goods are abandoned for years, some 10 years.”

“I think somebody should be asked to explain. The Senate should be told what is going on.”

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The Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Bukar Mustapha, APC, Katsina North said that TCN had not complied with the committee’s request to tender the number of completed projects and the cost of each project.

The TCN boss stated that they received N5.9 billion in the out going 2017 fiscal year, while still awaiting over N36 billion, adding, “We are hopeful that some releases will still be made.”