MARILYN AMOBI: House rejects action to remove NBET MD for not having evidence

…says claims against MD same as those dismissed by Presidency

An ambitious motion weaved by the House Committee on Power for the consideration and suspension from office of the Managing director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company, Marilyn Amobi, was on Tuesday, thrown out by the leadership of the House for want of evidence.

The Aliyu Magaji Dau-led committee had approached the House with a one-page motion praying for the passage of a vote of no confidence on Amobi, a power sector market expert, accusing her of insubordination, incompetence and corruption.

However, during the executive session presided over by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, to preview matters for consideration, the power committee chairman presented the motion and its prayers but could not advance any justifiable evidence to back his claims of ‘gross misconduct’ of insubordination, incompetence and corruption before the executive session.

A lawmaker, who attended Tuesday’s session told one of our correspondents that the inability of the committee to provide any proof to back up any of the three allegations raised by the committee in its motion against Dr. Amobi, forced Speaker Gbajabiamila to ask the chairman to step down the proposed motion, warning that the House could not proceed with unsubstantiated claims, which had since been considered and dismissed by the Presidency before the MD was reinstated last January.

The lawmaker said: “Mr. Speaker and the House leadership were clear in rejecting the motion on the grounds that the power committee did not bring up any thread of evidence to show how Dr. Amobi ‘disrespected’ the committee chairman and members when they went on oversight in the company.

“He, the speaker, also drew the attention of the Chairman and members that they didn’t have reason to continue oversight NBET after it was removed from power ministry and ceded to the Finance Ministry by the President in January,” the source said.

It was gathered that the leadership also faulted the power committee for claiming that the MD had been ‘indicted’ by EFCC and ICPC when none of the anti-graft agencies had ever taken her to court for any financial crime and when indeed there had been no verdict of indictment pronounced by any court against her within and outside Nigeria.

A copy of the resolution with the title “Gross Misconduct and Insubordination of Ms. Marilyn Amobi, Managing Director of the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company” states, “The House notes that in line with the provisions of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Power is saddled with the responsibility of carrying out oversight on the Ministry of Power and its agencies, including the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET).

“Aware that the Committee on Power is in receipt of complaints and reports indicting the Managing Director of the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company  and also aware that several anti-corruption agencies among which are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation have earlier indicted the Managing Director, Ms Marilyn Amobi for corruption and mismanagement and despite the present Administrations fight against corruption, she still remains in office with attendant damages to the Agency and the Power Sector in general.

“The House recalls that during the oversight visit by the Committee on Power to the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company, Ms. Amobi exhibited complete disrespect and disregard for the Committee;

“The House therefore resolves to pass a Vote of No Confidence on the Managing Director of the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company, Ms. Marilyn Amobi for incompetence, gross misconduct and lack of respect for constituted authorities which she exhibited during the Committee’s oversight visit to the Agency”.