•••Presidency, Reps may clash over NBET boss
TRACKING______The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday claimed that “the manifest incompetence of the Buhari presidency as well as President Muhammadu Buhari’s lack of visibility and failure to personally lead from the front is responsible for the failure to check the spread of (the) COVID-19 (pandemic) in our country.”
It argued that the ‘alarming’ increase in infection and mortality rates in Nigeria would have been curtailed “if the nation had a competent, proactive and transparent leadership with the capacity to articulate a quick national response to the pandemic.”
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party noted that the situation had been worsened by what it called “greedy and corrupt cabal in the presidency, who are cashing in on President Buhari’s ineffectiveness to pillage resources meant for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in our country.”
According to the PDP, “it is distressing that since the outbreak of the pandemic in Nigeria, Mr. President had not demonstrated the desired visibility, addressed the nation only thrice (each time, after much prodding), after which he had remained out of public visibility, leading to lack of effective coordination of the fight against the pandemic.”
Also yesterday, indications emerged that the presidency and some members of the House of Representatives might soon be on a collision course after tomorrow’s plenary over the appointment of Dr. Marilyn Amobi as Managing Director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company Plc (NBET).
Reliable sources informed The Guardian yesterday in Abuja that the lower legislative chamber’s Committee on Power had been at loggerheads with Amobi, following what was described as trumped-up allegations of corruption against the NBET boss.
The situation was said to have degenerated on February 16, 2020 when the committee members embarked on an oversight visit to the agency and engaged in a face-off with the chief executive after accusing her of corruption, incompetence and insubordination.
A trending video was later released after the trip where some of the lawmakers were heard accusing the NBET boss of allegedly enriching herself with N2 billion monthly.
But another source revealed that there was more to the allegations.
The sources, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that the same claims were brought before the anti-agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) whose findings Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had reportedly found no wrongdoing on the part of Amobi.
