Rivers Gas Turbines Sold At $432m, Probe Panel Told

The four Rivers State Government- owned gas turbines were sold at the cost of $432,800,000.00
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Power, Mr. Emeka Obisike Peter stated this while answering questions before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry sitting in Port Harcourt.
As a permanent secretary, I was not part of the series of negotiations that led to the sale of the gas turbines”, he said.
According to him, the first meeting on the sale of the gas turbines was held in the office of the then Commissioner for Power, Augustine Wokocha, adding that he was told to leave the venue of the sale as it was an investment for which the Ministry of Finance was in charge.
He told the probe panel investigating the sale of government assets by the last administration that the sale covered Afam (Phase 1) gas turbine, Eleme gas turbine, Omoku gas turbine and Trans Amadi gas turbine.
Peter further disclosed the name of the company that bought the turbines as NG Power HPS Ltd.
In another development, the Rivers State Reserved Fund was withdrawn without a specified item of expenditure for each of the four withdrawals.
An official of the FBN Trustee Ltd, managers of the Rivers State Reserved Fund, Barrister Olufemi Okin, stated this during a question and answer session at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
He said on the amendment of the Reserved Fund Law, the FBN Trustee Ltd did not render any advice, as all withdrawals were made subject to a resolution of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the asubsequent approval by the former Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo (right), presenting a souvenir to her Enugu State counter-part, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, who paid her a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday